Leather, cinnamon and allspice
by NanaRie
Summary: "Their brief time together had been nothing short of intense, proving that actions & quality, not words & quantity, created true bonds." AU of part 2, continues to depart further as chapters progress. Ranges from fluff! to mayhem! AU. Alice/Hatter.
1. Scent is the strongest link to memory

**Disclaimer:** I don't own anything. I just play around and take liberties! Based off SyFy's _Alice_ (2009).

**Chapter Summary:** Alice is sorting out her thoughts as she waits for Hatter to return from sending for Caterpillar.

**A/N:** This is my very first attempt at fanfic! I just couldn't get Halice out of my head and I've been inspired by all the stories I've been reading! Please review. Constructive criticism welcome. Be gentle, it's my first time!

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_Cinnamon sticks and allspice._ Alice breathed deeply as she absentmindedly fingered her coat collar, indulging in the aromas rising from the plush velvet. She closed her eyes. _And something else…familiar._ The scents mingled in her nose and drew forth an image of a broad shoulder clad in soft, tan leather and the sensation of a warm body as she pressed her face into the leather, squeezing for dear life and trying not to see the water below or hear the gunshots behind. Alice's heart was thumping with adrenaline as she recalled the flight from the Happy Hearts casino. _Goddamn flamingos._ She'd thought they looked like they belonged on a children's Merry-Go-Round and had serious doubts about their flying capabilities. Not to mention the weight of two people. But Hatter had trapped her in his gaze, assuring her that there was no way he'd let her ride one of those things if he wasn't certain she'd be safe. And she'd believed him, grasping his arm as she mounted the machine and settling herself close behind him, wrapping her arms around his chest. She mentally prepared herself for the flight, grateful that she had Hatter to cling to. After the initial shock of the wind whipping her straight, nearly black locks against her face as she gasped for breath and squinted through her eyelashes, panic settled in at the sight of the steel water stretched out under them. Dizzy, she clutched at the silk of Hatter's shirt and buried her face in his left shoulder, screwing her eyes tight. She had calmed a bit when she finally turned her head towards the nook where Hatter's neck met his shoulder. His wild chestnut-brown hair was sweaty just at the nape of his neck, and Alice watched as a single bead of sweat slid down to his paisley maroon collar. Her left cheek cool against his leather jacket, she could feel the heat radiating from his glistening skin. Alice exhaled and felt her body relax into his, surprised that she had been holding her breath. _Worn leather,_ _cinnamon and allspice._ Her gaze drifted to the dark scruff covering his clenched jaw and then to the vein pulsing at his temple, his dark chocolate eyes sharp as he attempted to maneuver the Queen's idea of a flying machine. The top of his unruly hair was smashed down where his hat would normally be perched, and she vaguely wondered if it had flown off during the flight. Knowing him, he'd probably tucked the hat safely inside his jacket before takeoff. She'd laughed silently, then gasped when she realized that her mind wasn't concerned with how far down the water was, but rather how close Hatter's skin was.

"Heeeey, nonny nonny! Heeeey, nonny nonny! The wind and the rain, the wind and the rain…"

Alice was pulled back to her present senses, eyes once again staring up at the fluffy white clouds drifting lazily across a bluebird sky. She lay on an incline near the crest of a hill, one arm hooked behind her head, knees bent so her bare feet were flat on the ground. Her heavy boots, blue dress, and sodden underwear were drying by the fire. The ruby-red tights were long gone by now, she'd ditched them after the romp through the woods with the Jabberwock. The third snag had spiraled from tiny zigzags at her left shin to gaping holes at the top of her hamstrings, and several more rips had converged to expose her right quads and kneecap, prompting a quirk of the eyebrow from Hatter, so the tights had to go. Charlie was kind enough to loan her some sort of nightshirt and even men's undershorts while her clothes dried. The garments were surprisingly bright white, and Alice wondered how he kept them from getting dingy. _After all, he does dabble in the Black Arts!_ She grinned. His clothes may have been much too big for her, but they were dry and smelled like fresh spring water. She'd grabbed her - _Hatter's_, she corrected herself - purple coat from where it still hung and slid it on, enjoying the feel of the smooth lining on her forearms as the sleeves of the oversized nightshirt bunched up past her elbows. She'd continued wandering without a destination in mind until she found herself standing at the peak of Charlie's western lookout, carefully scanning the horizon. She'd laughed at herself and lay down in the grass to rest her aching muscles.

Alice felt the pleasant warmth of afternoon sunshine on her face and spread her toes in the dewy grass, chuckling as she listened to Charlie's distant singing. She hoped he was cooking up some more barbecued borogove. Her mouth watered just thinking about it, and it hit Alice how exhausted she was. And no wonder! The exertions of the Suits' humiliating body search, the audience with the Queen followed by psychological torture in the sadistic Tweedle twins' Truth Room, and the narrow escape on a flying pink flamingo machine, (topped off with an aquatic crash landing, of course), had left her utterly spent. Hatter must be even more exhausted than she.

_Hatter._ Alice felt a pang of guilt that he had gone back out into danger, into the proverbial fire, while she got to rest her weary body in the grass. The pang sharpened into remorse as she recalled their argument before he'd sped off in his smuggling boat to contact members of the Resistance. He was trying to get to the top man, code name "Caterpillar." That was dangerous enough, but Hatter was already on the most wanted list for both Dodo's arm of the Resistance and the Hearts. Or at least he was on that creepy Mad March's list. Mad March, the Queen's maniacal assassin. Alice shuddered involuntarily as she visualized March's robotic voice and mechanical white rabbit head. What did he want with Hatter, anyway? As far as she knew, the Hearts thought Hatter worked for them, selling their emotion teas, enabling the addictions of despondent tea-heads throughout Wonderland. For whatever reason, that psycho was hunting him, and Hatter was running around Wonderland in search of Caterpillar. Alice couldn't help but admire his actions. He was doing what he felt was right by his people. She groaned and covered her face with the hand that had been fingering her velvet collar, cringing at the memory of the words she'd spat out at him. How could she accuse him of using her? The man had taken a bullet protecting her from Dodo and then risked his neck rescuing her from the casino, losing his teashop and home somewhere along their merry way. He yearns to step up and fight for his people, and she interprets it as using her. _Selfish Alice!_ She'd been trouble for him from the moment she'd stepped into his private office in the back of his teashop several days ago, hair still dripping wet from her first Wonderland swim. _And he still came to rescue you._

Alice dwelled on Hatter's words about Jack and her father. How meeting Jack in her world wasn't a coincidence. She knew in her heart he had to be right. Jack Chase had turned out to be a complete lie! She wondered if she wasn't the first Oyster with a mysteriously missing family member that he'd fooled. She didn't want to believe that his intentions were completely dishonorable. After all, he'd taken a risk in slipping her father's watch to her in the presence of the Queen, whispering simply, _"He's here."_ Her blood had stopped pumping through her veins and the whole universe had paused for an entire second as she felt the cold metal watch slide discreetly into her hands and understood. After 13 years of fruitless searching, Jack had given her something tangible. She'd searched his pale blue eyes and dignified face, but found no clear answers. Alice didn't know what to make of it; she obviously couldn't read Jack at all.

Hatter, well…

Hatter told Alice exactly what he thought, even if it was difficult for her to hear, and his feelings were right there on his face for her to see. The corners of her mouth twitched as she saw his animated expressions flit across her mind's eye. Her smile faded into an embarrassed grimace when she again recalled her argument with Hatter. He had simply been trying to talk some sense into her, and she'd responded like a child, still hurt from the revelation that Jack Chase was actually Prince Jack Heart. Alice may have been unable to let go of her father's disappearance, but she had since taught herself to move on from failed relationships, and was annoyed with herself for allowing Jack's lies to affect her so deeply. _So Jack lied to you, get over it!_ She'd been unfair to Hatter, and Alice hoped she'd be able to swallow her pride long enough to admit all this to him.

The smell of borogove sizzling over the fire wafted past Alice's nostrils and her stomach growled. It would be a while before the meat was ready, and hopefully Hatter would be back by then so he could get a hot meal. If Alice was sure of anything, it was that Hatter would return to her with a healthy appetite.

As her fatigue set in, Alice allowed her body to sink into the ground, feeling that she was floating along with the clouds overhead. Her eyes shifted in and out of focus, identifying shapes in the various puffs and shadows. That one looked like a rabbit. And that one looked like a hat. And not just any old hat…

Alice's breathing deepened and grew steady as she drifted into a soft slumber.

~TBC~


	2. Of junkies and tea

**Disclaimer:** I don't own anything. I just play around and take liberties! Based off SyFy's _Alice_ (2009).

**Chapter Summary:** Today's installment: Hatter backstory! He's just sent for Caterpillar and is on his way back to the Kingdom of the Knights. Darker than the first chapter.

**A/N:** Well this started as a oneshot, but I think it's out of my hands now. Thank you for reading and reviewing!

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The motor roared in his ears and water incessantly misted his face as Hatter raced towards the forest in his smuggling boat. The sun was a tad low for his liking. With the flick of a switch, a pull of a lever, a few kicks and some nonsensical cursing, the boat shuddered into high gear. He had to make it back by nightfall so Alice wouldn't do anything rash. The girl was a bit headstrong, that was for sure. Not that Hatter minded, he just figured he'd better be back by nightfall like he said he would. She was a strong fighter, something that had caught him off guard, but she didn't know enough about Wonderland to go it alone. She needed him.

There was no way Hatter could have been prepared for how it felt to be needed by Alice. The Fates had delivered her right into his office in the back of his teashop, dripping wet and beautiful, sporting the Stone of Wonderland on her finger and an Oyster tattoo on her forearm. Turns out she was lots of other things as well, and she needed him. He wanted to be brave for her, to be her champion, (not her _vassal_, as Charlie dubbed him). Her loyalty and resolve to search for her father, and yes, even Jack, affected him, and it felt good to be taking on a different role for the Resistance. True, he'd fought the Queen by keeping the refugees fed and watered all these years, but this was the first time he was actually trying to change the state of things. Excitement bubbled up from his toes and out the top of his head and he jumped up and down, unable to keep still. He marveled that his low top hat didn't pop up into the air with all these _feelings_ flowing through his body.

_Feelings, right._ From the second Alice had dripped into his office, Hatter began undergoing a scope and depth of emotions that had been unknown to him. It was delicious, these genuine emotions. Wonderland and its inhabitants had become so wretched and melancholy, finally apathetic, that authentic feelings were virtually nonexistent. Sure, they experienced a shallow range of feeble emotions; they were still human, after all. But nothing to get your blood pumping, nothing to satisfy your soul. Most Wonderlanders turned to the emotion teas from the casino, trying every mental state they could get their hands on, making cocktails of unlikely pairings, throwing hedonistic parties (labeled "tea soirees") that could last for weeks. Overdosing was a routine occurrence at any tea soiree. The junkies didn't care. Dying in the ultimate throes of a cocktail of emotions seemed like the way to go. "Chasing the Cheshire," they called it.

Hatter was no stranger to the teas from the casino. He used to chase the Cheshire in his youth, a junkie like everyone else. He was zealous in his chase, devising unheard-of cocktails, striving to catch that Cheshire and _feel._ He knew he could feel, he had ambiguous memories of legitimate emotions from his infancy. If he could just achieve one bona fide feeling…death seemed worth it. His parents had taken the same route when he was a young boy, making him an orphan at age 12. He watched out for his baby sister, barely 7 at the time, and together Hatter and Bonnie survived the streets of the city in any way they could. They found Dormie early on, the tiny mouse-like boy curled up and sleeping in a dumpster, clutching a flask of drowsy tea. The addition of Dormie transformed the pair of siblings into a triumvirate of savvy street urchins. Hatter quickly learned the effect his natural, easy charm had on people, and he was always two steps ahead. It wasn't long before the three were sitting pretty on a successful tea-dealing operation. It seemed they knew everyone in the city. There was barely a handful of street junkies and Suits that didn't owe Hatter a favor at any given time, and he was gaining quite a reputation as _THE_ go-to man. People rarely crossed him, and those that did were swiftly admonished with a pummeling from his sledgehammer of a right fist. He eventually became known as the maddest Cheshire-chasing junkie tea-head in the city to boot.

Feeling hardly a twinge at seeing friend after friend finally catch the Cheshire made Hatter chase that much harder. He couldn't chase down the grief he wished to feel. As far as he knew, the Hearts didn't harvest purely negative emotions from the Oysters to distill into teas, so he aimed for impossibly high highs. He always had several flasks of various cocktails on hand and in hat, barely going a minute or two without taking a pull from one of them. He threw major tea soirees, desperate for the end, listlessly watching the years roll by as more friends died in ecstasy, lust, gluttony, astonishment, gullibility, gratification…

Nothing. Not until a particular tea soiree at Dormie's remote country house, a favorite retreat for their circle of junkies. They'd already been at it for days, and Hatter had just chugged another pint of his most recent invention. Murky brown and tasting of cayenne and caramel, a "Nutty Screwball" consisted of equal doses of compassion, euphoria, passion, enthusiasm, generosity, delight, and desire. Slamming his glass down on the table, Hatter scooped Bonnie into a bear hug and twirled her around in peals of laughter. When her feet were finally back on the floor, she rolled her eyes at him. _"I love you too, big brother!"_ she shouted above the booming music. Hatter smirked as she headed towards the bar. It was a figure of speech, love was precious and hard to come by in Wonderland, but he understood what she meant.

-oOo-

The bartender was pouring a bright blue liquid into rows of shot glasses. _"I call it 'Icy Intrigue',"_ he said in response to Bonnie's inquiry. _"A concentrated dose of curiosity blended with wonder, awe, and a splash of confidence. It's major!"_ Always up for trying new cocktails, Bonnie slammed a shot. She licked her lips, getting every last drop of the tangy fruitiness. _Yummy!_ She began to feel the effects after her second shot. _Wicked!_ She was hooked. After a number of shots, (she didn't keep track), she asked the bartender to pour her a snifter of the blue drink and pushed her way through the crowd, in the mood for some fresh country air. Her brother was bouncing off the walls as usual, dancing feverishly under black lights in the laser disco room, spending some "quality" time bathed in a crimson glow with the voluptuous women upstairs, congratulating everyone on being generally lovely, giving away free samples of the latest teas he was carrying in his shop, tossing a kind word to the quiet new kids in the corner…

Outside, Bonnie was smoking fine honeyberry-flavored tobacco from her mahogany and ivory Sherlock pipe, gazing at the brilliant stars stretched out above the forest and philosophizing about the universe. She sipped her Icy Intrigue thoughtfully, wondering if someone like her was returning her gaze from somewhere in the celestial dome. She didn't get to see stars through the haze of the city, and made a point to enjoy them whenever they came out to Dormie's. There was a nip to the air, and Bonnie shivered, fastening the plum-colored buttons of her plush velvet coat against the wind. Her dark mocha eyes were suddenly ablaze with light as a massive white-hot meteor streaked across the inky sky, leaving a glorious trail of golden blue that lingered for whole seconds after it disappeared into the trees. Bonnie could scarcely believe how bloody beautiful it was before the streak faded into a starry night sky. She knocked back the rest of her drink. _Now where did that meteor land?_ Intrigued, the young woman stood up from the lawn chair and deliberately marched toward the woods, puffing on her pipe as the wind toyed with her wavy auburn tresses. She didn't hesitate when she reached the tree line; she'd seen the meteor enter the trees and knew which direction to go. She strode with assuredness, stopping every once in a while to puff out a few smoke rings. She watched as they spiraled upwards, growing until they could expand no further without simply dissipating into nothing. She felt she was getting close when she heard a faint jingle from the bushes. Looking down, she caught a glimpse of a fluffy tail as it vanished in the underbrush. She switched gears in an instant, turning on her heel to follow the sounds of rustling and jingling deeper into the woods.

-oOo-

In the house, Hatter was shaking up a new cocktail when he felt a timid tug at his coattails. He whirled around to see Dormie beckoning him with the oddest look on his face. Hatter freely followed, Dormie shuffling towards the double French doors that led outside, head down and muttering. Once outdoors, Dormie rounded a corner of the house and stopped to stand beside Mad March, still staring at the ground. Hatter took in the sight of Bonnie in March's arms, limp and dangling like a ragdoll in her favorite purple coat. She must have drunk too much drowsiness and passed out in the grass again. _"Give her here, then."_ He'd find her a decent place to sleep it off inside.

Dormie and March exchanged looks, avoiding direct eye contact with Hatter.

"_Come on, then. What's the hold up?"_

"_I'm sorry, Hatter. March found her…"_ was all Dormie managed to squeak.

"_She finally caught it."_ There was almost a touch of glee in March's voice as comprehension dawned on Hatter.

Everything in his vision sped before his eyes. He was a fixed point, and the world was spinning uncontrollably around him. All the teas he was on that night were completely drowned out by Hatter's heart-wrenching grief and guilt. He felt too hot and was sick to his stomach, running out to the bushes to vomit. Genuinely deep emotions. _Finally._ But his baby sister was gone instead of him. That hadn't been the plan. It was his fault, too. If only he'd kept a closer eye on her that night…if only he'd kept her away from teas in the first place…if only…_if only…_

Hatter, Dormie, and March had returned to the city, bearing Bonnie's body to the incinerator on the south side, Hatter remaining uncharacteristically still and quietly pensive. On their way back, March had slapped him on the shoulder. _"That's the way to go, eh, Hatter?"_

In 3 seconds flat, March had been thrown onto his back from the hardest punch to the face Hatter could muster with his right hand. March's once-handsome features were left smashed and disfigured, blood oozing from what used to be his ears, nose, and mouth, even his eyes. His head lay funny; his neck had snapped from the force of Hatter's blow. Hatter spat as he rolled March over the edge of the towering city with his foot, leaning over to watch the lifeless body tumble into the haze and out of sight. _"No, March, it bloody well isn't."_ He spat again. _"Queen's fuckin' bloody errand boy!" _And he'd stomped on, Dormie scurrying behind without so much as a peep.

Hatter now knew it was possible to feel for real, and instead of trying to die chasing the Cheshire, he resolved to help the Resistance. Maybe they could actually win this and drive out the Queen along with her vice-like grip of emotional control. Maybe, some day, when Wonderland was on the mend, they'd all feel true emotions again.

Hatter had been unable to remain idle, and immediately began to seek out the notorious Dodo, a Resistance leader in the city. Dormie followed along without question, never forgetting his years spent on the streets with Hatter and Bonnie. They were brought to Dodo by an elderly couple named Owl and Duck. They'd been blindfolded and drugged with sleepy tea, waking up with bleary eyes in the legendary Great Library. Hatter had to shake his head in disbelief; surely the Great Library had been destroyed by the Hearts? But here they were, surrounded by piles upon piles of books. Refugees and recovering tea-heads huddled together in blankets, crammed together in what little free space they could find. Dodo was more than eager to recruit the duo. After all, Hatter's reputation had preceded him, and Dodo definitely had use for a man of his..._talents_. They formulated a simple enough arrangement. Hatter and Dormie would keep up the guise of the tea operation, remaining chummy with the Suits to throw them off their scent, smuggling food and other necessities to the refugees hiding in the Great Library. In exchange, Dodo would provide them with protection, access to the books in the library, and a percentage of the spoils. Hatter didn't particularly enjoy dealing with Dodo, who always had ulterior motives, but he didn't think he had any other choice.

Dormie never gave up the teas; he didn't experience what Hatter had needed to push him over the edge. He went along with helping the Resistance, but he remained hooked on a steady intake of drowsiness. Hatter quit cold turkey, suffering through a maliciously agonizing withdrawal in the solitude of Dormie's country house, making the excuse that he was going away for a while to take care of some mundane matters regarding Bonnie's death. By the end, the house was a tornado of broken furniture and collapsed walls from his only solution to get through the torment of detox. Hatter himself was left covered in gashes and bruises, and he had fractured more than one bone, but the pain of his self-inflicted wounds was a welcome distraction. As soon as he showed his sober, albeit banged-up, face back at his teashop, the Suits that he regularly partied with were offering him drinks and inviting him out, asking when his next rager was going to be. As if he hadn't just gotten his kid sister killed with that bullshit. He skirted their questions about his apparent injuries, brushing them off with an enigmatic air that led the Suits to assume he'd been in a vicious brawl with a junkie, obviously coming out on top. This was Hatter, after all. They gave him incredulous looks when he turned down their offers, and Hatter realized with mild frustration that he couldn't quit, not entirely. The maddest tea junkie in the city turning down a cup of bliss? They would never buy it. He cut back as much as he could, replacing his flasks with honeyberry tea (there was herbal tea in Wonderland as well) and faking it, becoming quite the accomplished actor. He accepted drinks from anyone that offered and continued to throw his legendary soirees, but he managed to stay in control, thanks to the tolerance for teas he'd developed over the years. If he found himself in a moment of weakness, craving a dose of calm, joy, or, _good gods_, lust, he holed himself up in his office with a book from the library or went for a swim, depending where he was and what he was doing. Sometimes he'd just curl up and rock himself, concentrating on pulling forth as much of the memory of grief for Bonnie as he possibly could.

And here he was, years later, feeling genuinely deep emotions for the first time since he'd lost his baby sister. Hatter felt…he didn't even know what he felt. All the cocktails he'd concocted over the years had never come close to this. He may have developed a tolerance for the teas, but that couldn't prepare him for the utterly overwhelming sensation of actual, live emotions struggling to jump out of his skin. It was all because of Alice. The Fates had brought her to him, and she had triggered his soul, making him feel more acutely than he ever dreamed possible. She awakened him to what he'd been chasing after all those years; she was a reason to fight for revolution. He tried to put his finger on the cornucopia of feelings coursing through him as his boat careened across the water. _Courage, dread, accountability, tenacity, daring, anxiety, devotion, exuberance, loyalty, excitement, apprehension, hope, tenderness, desire, yearning…love…?_

He had to get back to Alice.

~TBC~


	3. Sunset

**Disclaimer:** I don't own anything. I just play around and take liberties! Based off SyFy's _Alice_ (2009).

**Chapter Summary:** Alice and Hatter reunited! Flufftastic fluffy fluff.

**A/N:** First dialogue attempt! I hope you like it! Things will start getting more plotty in the next chapter. Thank you for reading and reviewing, you all rock!

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Languid eyes opened to an azure sky dotted with cottony clouds bathed in a pale golden pink. There was a bit of a chill to the air, and ivory fingers worked gracefully at fastening large aubergine buttons, baby blues still gazing up from the lush grass. Alice loved sunsets. She'd always found the melting of light dusk to deep twilight to stars to be somehow more beautiful than the glory of sunrise. There was something…_stirring_…about the gradual, yet sudden, disappearance of the sun.

Sunset! _"If I don't return by nightfall, do it your way,"_ Hatter had pledged. Alice felt her palms sweat despite the cold, imagining all the horrible things that psychotic Mad March might do if he got a hold of the proprietor of the teashop. She checked herself, refusing to dwell on what-ifs. No sense in worrying, it wasn't even dark yet. Besides, Hatter could take care of himself. She knew how clever and resourceful he was. She'd seen the damage he could do with that right fist of his.

Hatter could take care of himself.

Alice's thoughts were interrupted by the muffled sound of bootfalls on grass. She angled her head to glance down the hill, and what she saw caused her jaw to drop slightly, allowing her lips to part as cool air rushed past them into her lungs. _Speak of the devil._

A flaming orange sun sat low in her field of vision, shafts of light flaring out from behind the silhouette of a short top hat, unmistakable hair flipping up haphazardly around the brim in all directions. Alice hardly noticed her heart beating faster while the hat continued to rise, revealing more of the man beneath as it bobbed up the slope. She couldn't see his face, still a dark silhouette against the sun, but somehow she knew he was smiling as he hiked towards her. She smiled back in evident relief and excitement. She'd known he'd make it back, but she had to admit she'd been concerned for his wellbeing.

"Good news!" A familiar voice called from the rising shadow below. "The Resistance wants to help!" The shadow continued to climb until, little by little, Alice could discern the colors of his clothes, the lopsided grin on his face, the twinkle in his eyes. And there he was, standing beside her.

"That's quite a – steep hill!" Hatter huffed between breaths. He surveyed the land around him before finally pausing, (in as much as he _could_ pause, it seemed he was always in motion), to gaze down at Alice. "They're sendin' one of their guys to escort us to Caterpillar."

"How long until he gets here?"

"Dunno. Caterpillar's out recruitin' in some other province, so they had to send for him. They won't come for us 'til the big man's back in the area." Hatter glanced over his shoulder. "But they can move pretty fast when they want to, so my guess is some time tomorrow afternoon. Maybe late mornin'."

Settling his attention back on the girl laying in the grass at his feet, a girl in a certain purple coat and what appeared to be Charlie's undershorts, Hatter cocked his head as she looked up at him from the ground. "Whatcha doin' down there?"

"Just watching the clouds." Alice patted the ground next to her in an invitation. "Come on, you deserve a rest."

Hatter beamed. "I do, don't I?" In an instant he joined her in the grass, stretching out his long legs. He twirled his hat before plopping it on his chest, crossing his hands behind his head and sighing. "Wow!" he exclaimed cheerfully. "I didn't realize how tired I was!"

Alice kept quiet, listening to his musical accent, watching the clouds waft along with the gentle breeze.

"Y'know, I haven't seen a cloud in _ages_. The sky over the city's been covered in a haze since I was a lad." Hatter paused. "This place must be full of Old magic." Then, softly, "It's lovely."

Old magic? Alice just went with it. The rules were different in Wonderland. Besides, she was too tired and too relieved to have Hatter back to really care.

"Fancy a drink?" Hatter conjured up a brushed metal flask sheathed in ochre suede, crafted with an intricate design of a flower Alice couldn't identify. "Honeyberry tea. No funny stuff," he added quickly when she knotted her eyebrows and opened her mouth to object. Her mouth closed soundlessly, but her eyes didn't stray from his face.

Watching Hatter take a swig from the flask made Alice's throat feel dry. She smacked her parched lips and reached out to grab the drink even as he handed it to her, offering with his eyes. She licked her lips after a small sip, considering the flavors and tracing the lines of the flower with her fingertips. After another sip, the martial arts instructor decided honeyberry tea tasted like black chai tea complemented with honey and a hint of raspberry. After a few gulps, she didn't know how she'd lived without the stuff up to this point. She pondered on what other hidden Wonderland treasures were being overshadowed by the Queen's rule, and if she'd ever get the chance to discover them. Screwing the cap back on, she passed the flask back to Hatter with a grin, mystified when it dematerialized to wherever it had come from.

"Thanks, I was thirsty."

"Don't mention it."

The pair settled into a comfortable silence, reveling in the display before their eyes. The sky was a blaze of oranges, pinks, and purples, and Alice could see a few sporadic stars bright enough to shine through in the fading sunlight. A colossal lavender and apricot cloud floated into her view. In its puffs and shadows, she perceived a group of mermaids lounging around what looked like King Triton on a throne: crown, trident, and all! And they were – Alice drew in a sharp breath – _talking_ to her? She closed her eyes for a moment, exhaled, and popped them open. Yep, cloud mermaids were talking to her! She could see their mouths moving as they motioned to her, but she couldn't understand their murmurs.

"Hatter?"

"Eh?" came the dreamy reply.

"Do you hear that?"

"Hear what, love?"

Alice hesitated. For a moment she wondered if the tea was causing her to hallucinate. Hatter had promised "no funny stuff," and she believed he meant it, but how could he know what effects the Wonderland refreshment might have on an Oyster like herself?

Hatter turned his face towards her, taking in her perplexity. He didn't seem concerned. "You seein' somethin' in the clouds?" This was more of a statement than a question.

Alice darted her eyes to his. "Yeah!" She gave him a half-smile, and the teashop owner responded with a charming flash of his dimples, causing her to smile wider. "What's up with that?"

Hatter gave a low chuckle as he peeled his eyes away from Alice's, back to the vibrant sky. "Guess Wonderland's finally gettin' to ya!"

"Meaning?"

"Clouds in Wonderland aren't like the clouds in your world, Alice." Well, of course not, why should they be? "Wonderland clouds are alive." He said this nonchalantly, as if it was perfectly normal for condensed water vapor to be alive.

"How is _that_ possible?" Living clouds? _Psh._

"Magic." _That_ word again.

_Fricken' Wonderland... _Alice dismissed her initial skepticism in favor of curiosity. "So what happens when it rains here?"

Hatter shrugged. "Depends."

"On what?"

Chocolate eyes drifted to meet grey-blue ones still trained on the man before them.

"On the cloud, I s'pose." Another pause. "Like…some of 'em do it just to mess with us, yeah? And other times the cloud's blubberin' over somethin' silly. Bunches of 'em just leak in their sleep." He shifted his eyes back to the sky. "I dunno, lots of things I s'pose."

As crazy as that sounded, Alice had no choice but to accept his answer, so she stopped gaping at him and turned her attention back to the cloud mermaids. She squinted her eyes, trying to focus on what they were saying, but all she could glean were muted whispers.

"What are they saying?" Alice blurted out.

"Who?"

"The mermaids in the clouds, they're whispering something, but I can't quite make it out."

Hatter turned his face towards Alice again, eyes sparkling in a cheeky smirk. "You see mermaids?"

"Yeah, don't you?"

"The clouds have a mind of their own, Alice," Hatter teased mysteriously. "Let's see, how do I put this?" He chewed the inside of his cheek thoughtfully. "Okay. So there's loads of different clouds, but…they're all one. Yeah?" He raised his eyebrows and looked at her sideways, seeking affirmation of her comprehension.

"No…" was the dry response.

Hatter scratched his head. "Well, the clouds show up wherever they want. They can be anywhere at any time and everywhere at every time, all of 'em. Usually there's more than one, most clouds you see are actually a cluster of 'em." He stopped to glance at Alice. She was peering at him, listening raptly. She nodded for him to continue. "Big one like _that_, there's bound to be a bunch of 'em. Throwin' a tea party or somethin'." Hatter sighed wearily. "Seein' 'em is tricky. Depends on both you and the clouds. They gotta be in the mood to let you see 'em, and you gotta be in the right frame of mind, so to speak. Some are more particular than others. And most Oysters never see any of 'em."

"So why can _I_ see the mermaids? What do you mean, 'right frame of mind'?"

"Like I said, I guess Wonderland's finally gettin' to ya." Hatter said this softly, almost seductively, his eyes never leaving hers, and Alice felt her heart thump against her chest. She shifted her focus back to the clouds.

Feeling those piercing eyes lingering on her, Alice once again tried in vain to hear the mermaids. Nothing but unintelligible murmuring. King Triton was waving his trident majestically, almost comically, the lounging mermaids giggling with animated gestures. "Wait, you didn't answer my question. Can't _you_ see the mermaids?"

Hatter laughed out loud. "Ol' King Triton's none too fond of _me_, love. And don't you worry your pretty little head about what those mermaids are sayin', they've got nothin' to say what's worth repeatin'!"

Alice's eyes gravitated back towards Hatter's at that warm laugh. It was infectious, and she found herself laughing freely and easily for the first time in…how long? She didn't know, but that hardly mattered now.

Hatter's laugh faded into an intent expression that made Alice tingle. A shiver ran down her spine that may have been due to the chill in the air, but she wasn't entirely convinced.

"Sun's settin'," Hatter broke the moment, and the twosome sat up to gaze towards the horizon.

The sun hovered, imperceptibly vanishing in shimmering waves of red-orange. There was a final sliver of red, and then it was gone as the planet rotated on its axis, bearing Alice and Hatter away from the fiery orb and towards it at the same time. They stole a glance at each other before lying back down in the grass at a slight angle, heads nearly touching and feet pointing in different directions. Occasionally Alice felt a tickle on her forehead from Hatter's hair, but she didn't mind in the least.

It wasn't long before the expanse of the sky was a sapphire sea studded with twinkling stars. Never had Alice seen so many stars, even when she'd taken trips out to the countryside. She didn't recognize any of the constellations. Her steely blue eyes swept the heavens, taking it all in. The stars moved at a snail's pace, precisely fast enough for the naked eye to detect their journey across the night sky. She spotted a couple of bright planets, a tiny green one and a fat white one. A vast river of celestial bodies flowed across the velvet sea, wider and infinitely more radiant than the Milky Way. More vivid colors, too, with pulsing stars in pink, red, blue, amber, green, and diamond white. Alice quietly gasped when her eyes took in not one, but two giant blue-white crescent moons, spooning side by side in contrast against the darkness. The pale skin of her hand seemed to glow in the moonlight. _Every_thing had a soft glow. She rolled onto her side to ask Hatter about Wonderland's constellations, secretly curious to see _his_ glow, but her question froze on the tip of her tongue and all thoughts of constellations flew out of her brain. He was also lying on his side, and the only thing she could register was the ethereal luminescence in his dark eyes, eyes that were locked onto hers. Alice couldn't speak for a moment. His face was so close she could smell honey on his hot breath.

"I was afraid you weren't coming back," the girl confessed in a hushed voice, holding her gaze steady, for once not backing away.

Hatter's eyes softened and saddened all at once. "You still don't trust me?" Again, more of a statement than a question.

_Dammit._ Alice resisted the urge to reach out and touch his face. Instead she shook her head, speaking firmly. "I couldn't help imagining what would happen if Mad March tracked you down. I-" she halted. "I was worried." Hatter started to scoff, but she waved away his protest. "I know you can take care of yourself, Hatter. I knew you'd come back, but even so…I…" Alice trailed off. She wanted to tell him how foolish she'd been, that she absolutely trusted him. Their brief time together had been nothing short of intense, proving that actions and quality, not words and quantity, created true bonds. She knew from experience that she could trust him with her whole life. But all Alice could get out was, "I'm sorry for what I said." Her eyes searched his, seeking forgiveness. She wasn't even aware that this was the first time she'd ever set aside pride and stubbornness to apologize to a man for her own actions. The significance was lost on her as she held her breath, waiting to gauge his reaction.

She didn't have to wait long. Hatter's telltale eyes said it all. He didn't press the subject, communicating more completely in their silently shared connection than words could ever have. In that instant, something clicked. Alice knew that he understood everything she wanted to say, and why she couldn't, and gratified relief washed over her until she giggled with pure joy.

Hatter let out a gentle chuckle. "Well, well. What's gotten into you, my little Oyster?" His voice carried the same tone from earlier, with that tantalizing hint of seduction, rendering Alice speechless. She could only stare at him with wide eyes. She was vaguely aware of movement in her peripheral vision, but her eyes didn't leave his until, in a jolt of electricity, she felt the light brush of his fingers on her cheek. Her black eyelashes fluttered shut, her heart pounding so hard against her chest she was positive Hatter could hear it. Without thinking, she ever so slightly nuzzled her face into his calloused palm, which now fully caressed her cheek, so that the edge of her lips barely grazed his thumb.

When she peeked out from the dark frame of her lashes, Alice was taken aback at the ardent gleam that shone in Hatter's eyes. They both were panting shallowly through parted lips, and Alice couldn't keep her eyes from darting to Hatter's perfect Cupid's bow of a mouth, thinking that he probably tasted of honey. He was drawing her closer with his hand, leaning his forehead against hers. Alice was grateful that they were lying down. There wasn't a chance in hell her knees would have held her upright if he'd tried this standing, and she definitely would have wound up in a crumpled heap at his feet. Somehow regaining control of her limbs, Alice reciprocated his touch, playing with the scruff on his face, studying his lips and chin with her fingers.

The budding lovers continued like this for minutes upon minutes, content to touch and breathe in each other's scents. _Worn leather, cinnamon sticks, allspice, grass, honey, Hatter._ Alice could get used to this. She thought she could actually feel their energies, envisioning millions of electrons mingling in a dance between them, bringing them into each other. It was so…_intimate_. Though her heart was going a mile a minute and she was panting in anticipation, Alice felt utterly at ease. No worries, no doubts, no insecurities. Her mind was on nothing else but her present senses. She hadn't anything to compare this to, it was just _Hatter_. Her eyes flickered back up to his, and he took that as his cue to slowly bring his lips towards hers. Agonizingly slowly…but surely. She closed her eyes when he teasingly brushed her nose with his; she could practically taste his smile. Her entire body felt hot and cold, and she trembled in eagerness.

_Guuuurrrrggllllluurrrggggllle_.

Alice snapped her eyes open and gawked at Hatter, mortified at the boisterous, drawn-out growl her empty stomach had conveniently chosen to make at that most opportune of moments. The flush that had spread across her face and neck deepened, this time with embarrassment. After keeping a straight face for about a nanosecond, Hatter was slapping his hand on the ground in a fit of laughter. Her efforts to pout were effaced by his jovial response, and she laughed up into the sky.

Hatter's eyes twinkled as he whispered, "To be continued," in that same seductive tone, prompting Alice to groan in disappointment. He bounded to his feet and tossed his hat into the air, reaching down a hand to help her off the ground, hat landing at a jaunty angle atop his wild hair. "Charlie's borogove'll be ready, and we need to get some food in our bellies!" he said good-naturedly. He laughed again when Alice remained motionless. "No worries, love, it's been a long day. There'll be time for all _that_ later, yeah? Let's get goin', eh?"

The borogove _did_ smell delicious. Funny that Alice had become oblivious to the enticing aroma of sizzling meat when Hatter had arrived. She accepted his hand and stood, clasping it as she let him lead her down the hill towards Charlie and much-needed nourishment.

~TBC~

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**A/N:** I wanted to capture the gist of Hatter's speech without really getting into the phonetics. I hope it worked for you!


	4. Caterpillar's Agent

**Disclaimer:** I don't own anything. I just play around and take liberties! Based off SyFy's _Alice_ (2009).

**Chapter Summary:** Enter Jack, Prince of Ick! And some Halice fluff, because I simply can't help myself…

**A/N:** First update in ages, please don't kill me! _*ducks for cover*_ Thank you readers and reviewers, you make me feel all warm and fuzzy inside! I hope you haven't given up on me completely! There's still a bit to get through in this fic :-D

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_Rushing river…cascading waterfall…leaky faucet…_Hatter groggily emerged from sleep with one thing on his mind…the loo. He stretched and rolled clumsily out of bed. _Bed?_ Looking over the empty, rumpled sheets, he ran his fingers through his hair, trying to jog his memory.

The last Hatter remembered, he was carrying a sleeping Alice from the bonfire to the old bed in Charlie's hut. It was barely a hut, really just two walls at an acute angle and a roof, but it was sturdy. Under the roof was a large bed covered in a white sheet, complete with ornate brass bedposts that had grown green with age. Hatter had laid Alice on the bed as delicately as possible, tucking the purple velvet of the coat she still wore around her and covering her with the sheet. He watched her until he was certain he hadn't woken her, tossing his hat onto one of the bedposts. Not wanting to disturb her, he had made himself comfy on the ground, but must have crawled into the bed with her in his sleep. He hoped Alice hadn't been too alarmed to find him in her bed when she woke. He knew _he_ certainly liked the idea.

_Where was Alice, anyway?_

Hatter's eyes surveyed the camp; Charlie was snoring away in his hammock, ratty teddy bear clutched to his chest. His impossibly white beard and mustache, curled in an outrageous Don Quixote fashion, vibrated with the violence of his snores. Hatter flipped his hat back into its rightful place on his head and stepped out of the hut. Someone, clearly not Charlie, had stoked the fire back to life. Hopefully Alice, but where had she gone?

Unable to ignore the urge in his bladder, Hatter ventured forth to search for Alice and a remote crop of bushes along the way.

-oOo-

It was an interesting sensation, floating atop the water with her entire front side laid bare to the air and her entire back side immersed in liquid. The morning air had a slight chill, but the sun's rays felt warm on Alice's bare skin. The clear water lapped about her as she displaced it with her floating body, always in motion so that bits of her were submerged and then exposed to the air over and over again. It had a calming effect.

Studying martial arts had taught Alice to be patient and quiet her mind, but she was still goal-oriented, bred in New York, and rarely took time to appreciate such small things. _Guess Wonderland's finally gettin' to ya_. The image of Hatter's luminous, nearly black eyes from their romantic evening under the stars popped into the forefront of her mind, and she couldn't stop her lips from curling into a soft smile. He must have carried her to bed last night. One minute she was fighting in vain to keep her eyelids from drooping as she listened to Charlie recite ancient poetry by the fire, her head resting on the soft leather of Hatter's shoulder, and the next minute she was laying in bed on her stomach, arm hanging over the edge in the bitter cold of night. She felt something warm with her dangling hand, and upon further inspection found that Hatter was sleeping on the ground next to the bed. She huffed out a silent laugh when she noted that his hat was carefully perched atop a bedpost, then reached down to gently urge him to move. Hatter mumbled sleepily and began to sit up as she pulled on his arm, his eyes half closed. Alice guided him to climb under the sheet next to her. Still asleep, he gathered her into his arms, and she let him hold her. She reflexively kissed his chest where her head lay before falling back asleep.

Alice splashed the water with her hands, wondering how much longer Hatter would be. He'd certainly be out looking for her the moment he awoke.

-oOo-

_Relief!_ Hatter zipped up his trousers and stepped through a dense crop of trees to see a narrow path leading to a rather small grotto. He jumped back into the trees when he realized someone was in the water. After nearly a minute of holding his breath, he decided whoever it was hadn't seen him and stole down the path, staying hidden in the trees and keeping his eyes focused on the swimmer.

When he was close enough to register that he was spying on Alice, a naked Alice having a private bath, Hatter dove down and rolled into some bushes, coughing up a mouthful of leaves and grass when he came to rest. He knew his handle on her trust was fragile, and he didn't think she would welcome the idea of him stalking her from the forest while she bathed. After a moment he decided he'd better announce himself, but rose slowly from behind the bushes for one opportunistic peek. Her raven hair floating about her face like a river nymph, her creamy skin in contrast with the deep water, her hard nipples pointed at the tops of her perky breasts…Hatter turned to step out with his back to Alice, clearing his throat to speak.

"What took you so long?"

Hatter stopped short, his mouth ajar but silent. He slowly turned around to see Alice's head bobbing on the water's surface, smiling shyly at him. He could just make out the shimmering outlines of her body in the clear water. He licked his lips.

"Well, aren't you going to join me? The water's perfect!"

Hatter's face broke into a toothy grin and he strode forward, losing no time in discarding his clothing. He tossed his hat alongside two piles of clothes already on the shore, the things Alice had slept in and the outfit she'd been wearing when she first arrived in Wonderland. Hatter remembered how bewitching she had been in that blue dress, soaked from head to toe. _Do I need a reason to help a pretty girl in a very wet dress?_

-oOo-

Alice was treading water, watching as Hatter dove right in and started swimming towards her. She couldn't help but appreciate his toned body, but what aroused her even more was how bold he was. She saw no reservation as he stripped down; all he'd needed was her invitation. As he closed the distance between them, Alice had to remind herself to keep moving her limbs. Men never made her feel this way, and it thrilled her that Hatter was doing this to her.

When Hatter was only a few feet away, Alice splashed him and began to swim backwards, smiling coyly and prompting him to chase her. He chuckled, and with a devilish gleam disappeared beneath the waves. She turned to swim faster, then squealed when she felt him tickle her feet. She kicked wildly at him and he responded by yanking at her leg, pulling her under with him. Sputtering, she resurfaced and shoved him playfully. She couldn't help but laugh at his boyish grin framed by his dripping dark hair.

Her blue eyes never leaving Hatter, Alice continued to swim backwards until she felt her feet touch solid ground. She paused to stand and rest, the water deep enough to keep her nude body hidden, yet clear enough to make little difference. Alice decided she didn't really care, and the thought made her tingle all over. She observed a glistening wet Hatter make his way towards her; the reflected clouds shifting in the ripples that emanated from his broad shoulders. Hundreds of tiny rainbows flashed across the water's surface, appearing and disappearing in the blink of an eye. Alice must have made a startled sound, because Hatter froze in uncertainty.

"All the rainbows!" she breathed.

Hatter looked around and turned back to Alice with a knowing smile. "Prismwings," he offered, taking another step towards her. "They come out in droves this time of the season."

_Wonderland._ Alice grew quiet, thoughtfully stroking her Oyster tattoo under the water as Hatter drew near. He paused before her and tilted her chin up. Concern and tenderness were written in his chocolate brown eyes.

"What's the matter?" Hatter murmured.

"What if I can't get back home?"

"Don't worry Alice, we'll find a way to get you home to your mum."

Alice didn't respond right away.

"Alice…" Hatter moved his hand to the side of her face, stroking her cheek with his thumb. "I'll always make sure you're okay." He paused and looked deep into her eyes. "Trust me." His tone was earnest, and his free hand was grazing her arm under the water.

Alice gazed back and nodded imperceptibly into his palm, awed at how easily Hatter had understood her. Her heart was thudding in her chest, and she was keenly aware of how very close and very naked their bodies were beneath the rainbowed surface. She closed her eyes when he lowered his head and hovered his lips by her ear. The scruff on his face was rough on her skin, rivulets of water ran down her cheek from his still dripping hair.

"Guess our luck's finally changin'," Hatter whispered gruffly against her ear. He leaned down further and began kissing her neck, lightly at first, then growing in intensity when Alice didn't push him away. She tilted her head to give him better access and allowed her hands to run up his sinewy arms.

Suddenly, Alice felt Hatter bristle, his lips frozen on her neck. She studied his face as he slowly lifted his gaze to the shore behind her. Perplexed at the way his features had drastically hardened, she turned around to see a most unwelcome sight.

"Jackie boy, lovely to see you," mocked Hatter.

There stood Jack Heart, looming in a sharp black suit, not a single blond hair out of place. He held the reins to a sleek sable horse.

"Hello Alice," said Jack airily. "Tell me, precisely _what_ are you doing with _him?_" he gestured towards Hatter without looking at the man.

"None of your business," Alice bit out with narrowed eyes.

"Well, you two certainly look pretty friendly."

"Yup," Alice replied shortly as Hatter positioned himself between her and Jack.

"Well come along then, get yourselves dressed." Jack waved his hand in disdain. Alice couldn't tell if Jack sounded disgusted or hurt. _Didn't matter._

"At least have the decency to turn around," retorted Alice.

Jack chuckled. "Nothing I haven't seen before, right darling?" he leered.

Hatter exploded, slamming his fist into the water for emphasis. "Oi! If the lady says turn around, you'd better fuckin' turn around!"

The Prince of Hearts rolled his eyes dramatically and threw his hands in the air in surrender. "Have it your way, no harm meant. Apologies." He hardly sounded apologetic as he turned his back on the pair in the water.

Hatter turned to Alice. She must have looked just as angry as he had sounded because he said, "Just relax, Alice. We'll find out what that bloody schemer is up to. Stay close, keep your guard up."

Alice nodded and followed Hatter to shore, eyes trained on Jack's back for any sign of movement as she scurried to her pile of clothes. She handed Hatter Charlie's nightshirt so he could dry off, growing warm when she caught him sneaking peeks at her body as she patted herself with Charlie's shorts and wrung her long hair. Jack certainly had terrible timing. She scrambled back into her undergarments and sky blue dress, turning her back to ask Hatter if he'd help her with the zipper. She could manage it on her own, but, _well_... She felt his calloused fingers brush her damp hair away from her neck and drape it over her shoulder, his breath hot on her sensitive skin as he zipped her up from bottom to top. "Here ya go," he said lowly, helping her into her plush aubergine coat. Alice stepped into her high-heeled boots and squared her shoulders, glancing behind at Hatter before turning to face Jack, who was shifting impatiently.

"What are you doing here?" Alice demanded.

Jack turned back around. "To rescue you, my dear Alice."

"Do I look like I need rescuing?"

Jack looked coldly at Hatter. "Perhaps."

Hatter clenched his right fist so hard his knuckles cracked, but Alice interjected.

"Don't you _dare_ look at him like that!" The woman's voice grew louder with each syllable as she stormed towards the prince. "I didn't see you coming to my rescue when I was subjected to a body search! I don't seem to remember you protecting me from your psycho mother!"

Jack stood mutely, maintaining his practiced demeanor in the face of Alice's outburst.

"In fact, you just stood there and watched them drag me off to the Truth Room with those creepy Tweedle weirdos!"

Alice moved into an offensive stance and Jack flinched, reacting in the defensive.

"So don't you _DARE_-" Alice punctuated her words with a few swift strikes. "_Look_ at him-" Jack was mid-flip, surprise etched on his noble features. "Like _that!_" Alice slammed Jack to the ground, and the prince groaned. "Now, what the hell are you doing here?" she boomed.

Hatter appeared at Alice's side. "Bravo," he applauded with a polite golf clap and a smirk. Then his face tightened into a scowl as he glared down at the still groaning Jack. "Oi, the lady asked you a question."

Jack frowned up at the dark man before turning to Alice. "Alice, I'm here to take you to your father and return you both to your world."

Alice considered the prince as he painfully made his way back to standing, fingering the cold metal of her father's watch in her coat pocket.

"He's hidin' somethin'," Hatter growled.

"How did you get my father's watch?" Alice interrogated.

"It's a long story, Alice." Jack offered his hand to her. "Come with me and I'll explain everything."

Alice looked to Hatter. "I smell a rat," he huffed dangerously.

She turned back to Jack. "Not good enough. I want you to explain now."

Jack sighed impatiently. "We don't have time, Alice. It was a risk getting your father out of the casino and the Suits will be searching for him. You have to trust me."

Hatter snorted.

Jack glowered at the man standing next to Alice before turning his attention back to her. "Alice, you do want to see your father again, don't you?"

"Of course I do."

Jack smiled triumphantly.

"But I don't believe you."

Hatter shot a patronizing smirk at Jack, whose face had fallen back into a stoic expression. "Prob'ly sent by his dear mummy for her precious ring."

Of course Jack was here for the stupid Stone of Wonderland. Alice felt her anger boil.

"Alice, please, I'm sorry I lied to you before. I never meant-"

"Cut the crap," Alice snapped. "Did you come for the ring?"

Jack hesitated. "Alice, the ring powers the Looking Glass. It's the only way to get you and your father home."

Hatter scoffed. "He's workin' for his mother, Alice, he'll say anythin' to get his hands on the ring. Blood 'n' water."

"If I'm here for my mother, then why aren't there a thousand Spades at my back?" Jack challenged. "How do you think I found you out in the middle of the woods, by following my nose?"

"How _did_ you find us?" Hatter inquired curiously.

"You sent for me."

"Come again?"

It took a few seconds for the meaning of Jack's words to sink in.

"I'm the Resistance agent that is to escort you to Caterpillar."

"You want to overthrow your own mother?" Alice was incredulous.

"I've seen firsthand the destruction she is capable of. Caterpillar recruited me himself."

"Why wouldn't you say so in the first place? Why all this dancing around about my father and needing the ring for the Looking Glass?"

"The Resistance needs the ring in order to halt the Queen's Oyster harvest," Jack divulged.

Alice thought for a moment. So Jack had ulterior motives for wanting the ring beyond helping her and her father return home. But if the Resistance needed the ring, why wouldn't Jack have said that straight away instead of trying to convince her to come with him without any elaboration whatsoever? It just didn't sit right. He seemed sincere enough, but Alice knew that she couldn't read him. Jack was a deceiver, through and through. He had his own mother fooled. She remembered what Hatter had said about how meeting Jack in her world and discovering that her father was here in Wonderland was no coincidence.

Finally she shook her head. "That still doesn't explain why you kept that from us in the first place. You must need me for something or you wouldn't have tried to get me to come along with no explanation."

Jack was stone faced. Hatter remained oddly quiet.

Alice waited expectantly, eyebrows raised.

With a resigned sigh, Jack rubbed his face with both hands. "You're right, Alice. The Resistance needs you. I promise that everything will be revealed to you, but we really must be on our way. Time is of the essence and we've wasted enough as it is. Please, where did you hide the ring?"

"Do you really have my father?"

"It's true Alice, I swear, but we have to hurry."

Alice turned to Hatter, and without losing eye contact grabbed his leather jacket by the lapel to pull him close. He stared back, a puzzled look in his eyes as she felt around the inside of his jacket. There had to be a dozen pockets of varying sizes in the lining. Alice found the pocket she was looking for, and when she withdrew her hand, she was wearing the Stone of Wonderland. She smiled brightly at Hatter, whose face melted into his trademark dimples. "We'd better go tell Charlie we're leaving."

Jack cleared his throat. "I'm sorry, Alice, but Caterpillar's orders were quite clear that I was to bring you alone. It's for your own safety."

Alice whirled on Jack. "Safety my ass! Hatter comes with us, or I don't go." She turned on her heels, seizing Hatter's hand to drag him along, but he stopped her. He pulled her around to face him, taking her shoulders in his hands and looking directly into her eyes.

"Hey, it's okay," he said loudly enough for Jack to hear. "We have to respect Caterpillar's wishes, and we can't afford to waste any more time."

Alice couldn't believe what she was hearing. Surely Hatter would never let her leave alone with Jack? "I refuse to go without you! They need me for something, they have to listen to my demands."

Hatter lowered his voice so Jack couldn't eavesdrop. "Listen to me, Alice. I wouldn't wanna go with that twat anyway."

Alice started to protest, but he put his finger to her lips.

"It's best this way, yeah? Trust me, I won't let you out of my sight." Hatter winked conspiratorially. "It's for your own safety," he teased.

In a flash, Alice understood. Hatter would never allow her to go anywhere alone with Jack. He would trail them at a distance and keep a lookout, ready to sound the alarm or jump in if needed. He was playing along, but by his own rules. Besides, Jack might be more forthcoming with his information if Hatter wasn't around, and Alice wasn't through questioning the dodgy prince.

Alice nodded and returned the wink with a sly smile, then stepped past Hatter towards Jack, who had already mounted the stately black horse. The prince outstretched his hand to assist Alice, but she ignored the gesture and swung herself up behind him on her own. She looked down at Hatter, heart swelling. He reached up to clasp her hand, pressing earnest lips to her fingers without straying his eyes from hers.

"Take care, love," he whispered against her skin. Then her hand was ripped from his as Jack drove his heels into the mare, spurring them into a hard gallop.

Alice twisted her body to watch Hatter grow smaller as the horse bore her and Jack to Caterpillar. He stood motionless, every feature of his face and the language of his body set in determination.

~TBC~

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**A/N:** It really bothered me that Alice, who was supposedly strong willed and intelligent, could act so weak and stupid at times in the mini.


	5. Hospital of Dreams

**Disclaimer:** I don't own anything. I just play around and take liberties! Based off SyFy's _Alice_ (2009).

**Chapter Summary:** Alice is taken to the Hospital of Dreams to meet Caterpillar and reunite with her father. Contains action!Hatter.

**A/N:** Things continue to diverge from the mini throughout this chapter, I hope you enjoy! Thanks for reading and reviewing, you are loved! Reviews are like a dose of motivation tea…

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The midday sun beat down as Hatter slurped greedily from the babbling brook, Guinevere nudging him friskily with her sopping muzzle. He'd instructed Charlie to stay behind, taking the chestnut mare along with some provisions. The old knight had protested, proclaiming that he should be the one to look after the Alice of Legend, not some _vassal_, but Hatter had just kicked his heels into Guinevere and galloped away, leaving Charlie to ramble on about the Black Arts.

Hatter studied the fresh hoof tracks along the ravine. He wasn't far behind. He had no idea why the Resistance wanted Alice, and all sorts of thoughts were flying through his brain. He figured Caterpillar was probably a man of integrity, but he didn't trust Jack as far as he could throw him. He hopped back onto the horse to climb the wooded hills; he needed to get to higher ground so he could keep Alice in his sight.

-oOo-

"You still haven't told me anything about my father or why the Resistance needs me," Alice pointed out.

Jack sighed from where he crouched by the sun-dappled stream, spooning water over his neck against the heat. "In due time, Alice. It's…" He smoothed back his blonde hair. "Complicated."

"Nope, the correct answer is, 'You see, Alice, we are using you because,' dot, dot, dot…" She arched a dark eyebrow expectantly.

Jack got to his feet, a pained look on his face. "Alice, you must believe me when I say that this should come from Caterpillar, not me. When we reach him and bring you to your father, you'll have all the answers you seek." He paused, pale blue eyes searching hers. "You have my word." He placed one hand over his heart.

Alice snorted. "Sorry, Jack, but your word has dropped steadily in value the last couple of days."

Jack cringed. "Alice, I never meant to lie to you…"

"You mean, about everything?" Alice interrupted. "Your name, family, _fiancé_…?"

"Alice, the Duchess is my mother's creature, nothing more."

"Hey, a cheater's a cheater."

Jack flinched. "I have no feelings for her nor she for me. My heart belongs to _you_, Alice."

Alice didn't say anything at first, moving to pat the glistening black flank of the horse. "Let's move on. The sooner you take me to Caterpillar, the sooner I find out what you really want with me."

Jack seemed flustered as they mounted the horse. Taking the reins without another word, he clucked and urged the mare into a brisk trot. Alice grinned inwardly, secretly pleased that she'd managed to ruffle his composed exterior. It gave her pause, though. Could it be he really loved her? Alice wasn't too sure.

She wondered if Hatter was close and whether he was watching her. She suspected he was.

-oOo-

From his vantage point on the ridge, Hatter could clearly make out Alice and Jack trotting through the valley. He trailed them silently, confident that the tree cover on the slopes was thick enough to shield him from sight, tensed for action in case he needed to bound down the hill or whip out his pistol.

Hatter couldn't hear their conversation, but he could tell that Alice was upset. He wanted to wipe the smug off Jack's face with his fist for upsetting his Alice. He considered how that might go down if he acted on it now.

"Heeeey, nonny nonny! Heeeey, nonny nonny!"

Hatter stopped short at the faint singing. "Oh, sweet _merciful_…"

"The wind and the rain, the wind and the rain…" The voice grew louder, closing in from behind.

Hatter whirled Guinevere and galloped towards the source of the singing. Soon enough he saw a white stallion, white knight perched grandly atop it in a full suit of armor, brandishing a spear in his hand and a longbow at his back.

"_Charlie, shut the hell up!_" Hatter hissed, slowing Guinevere to a halt.

"Oh!" Charlie crowed. "Greetings, Harbinger!"

"What the hell are ya doin'?"

"The very same as _you_. Justalice of Legend needs our help to complete her Quest." Charlie puffed up his chest and Arthur stamped his hoof.

Hatter shook his head. He knew there was no stopping the crazy old knight. "Come on, then. But Charlie? No singin'. We gotta keep quiet, yeah?"

"As you say, Harbinger." Charlie loped past Hatter, beard quivering in the air, flourishing his spear.

-oOo-

Traipsing down corridor after corridor of tea-heads in detox was…_unsettling_. Jack had taken Alice to meet Caterpillar in a place they called the Hospital of Dreams, claiming it was a treatment center. It reminded her of a loony bin. There were rows of padded cells occupied by Wonderlanders undergoing withdrawal, a cacophony of howls and screams bouncing off the walls and ringing in Alice's ears. She nervously twisted the Stone of Wonderland back and forth on her finger; she'd refused to give it up until she was reunited with her father. Peeking through the barred window of one of the cells, she was appalled to see a young boy writhing on the floor, kicking the wall and clawing at his own face.

Other corridors were reserved for tea-heads that were still high. These rooms were much more spacious, covered in sizable windows for easy viewing. Caterpillar explained that they were designed to get the tea out of the patients' systems, essentially overloading their emotional states. The junkies were dosed with their favorite flavor and placed in the appropriate room. When they started coming down, they were transported to the detox cells.

One of these rooms was filled with buffet tables crowded with plump Wonderlanders messily devouring copious amounts of food. The brass faceplate below the window read _Gluttony_. Alice noticed one particularly obese man lying on the floor, clutching his stomach, groaning that he couldn't possibly eat another bite. A couple medics appeared to whisk him off to a padded cell. Another room was draped in red curtains, and Alice thought she could hear the resonance of music with a heavy bass rhythm. She didn't have to read the label to know what was going on in _there_. The next faceplate read _Nostalgia_. People were lounging in comfy chairs, rifling through photos or playing children's games. A blonde woman was staring out a window at a projection of a grassy field.

Alice's heart went out to the Wonderlanders, and she resolved to help the Resistance in any way she could.

-oOo-

"Charlie, _please_, now's not the time!" complained Hatter.

The white knight was humming cheerfully, making far too much racket for Hatter's taste. To his relief, Charlie ceased his humming, whispering noisily up to where Hatter was perched, "See anything, Harbinger?"

Hatter didn't answer as he continued to clamber up the tree. He and Charlie had witnessed Alice and Jack disappear behind the creaking drawbridge of the infamous Hospital of Dreams, and Hatter had immediately begun hunting for a way to sneak in. The eerily looming building, hidden deep within the forest, was surrounded by a vast pit, which served the same purpose as a moat. The dense woods grew right up to the edge of the chasm, and Hatter thought he spied a few branches high enough and long enough to extend over most of the crevasse on the western side. He had motioned to Charlie and set out along the forest perimeter.

"Harbinger?"

"Hang on, Charlie, I see…" Hatter squinted his eyes and leaned forward. The thick trunk of the towering tree had grown crooked so that it was already leaning a third of the way over the cavity. He stood on a fairly thick branch that stretched within a couple meters of the building. "Yeah...bet I can make it," he muttered to himself. One hand on the rough trunk, Hatter bounced on the branch to test its stability, eyeballing the distance over the fissure and calculating his chances. The hospital was a bizarre architectural mess of ledges and decks on various levels, and he figured he could probably make the jump to one of the protrusions below and climb his way to a window or something. He didn't have any other brilliant ideas, so he began psyching himself up for the jump.

"_Harbinger!_"

"Right. Charlie? Take the horses and go keep an eye on the drawbridge," Hatter yelled down to the old knight at the base of the tree. "If you, uh, see anythin', then…make some birdcalls. Or somethin'."

"As surely as the winds blow from the very ends of Wonderland, I shall stand guard for the Lady Alice and alert you to her presence, Harbinger!" Charlie crooned proudly.

Hatter didn't have time to respond to that rather extravagant declaration before he glimpsed a commotion in his peripheral vision. He turned sharply to spot Mad March's specialized stealth scarab hovering around the corner on the south side of the building. _Motherfucker._ It was now or never. He took a deep breath and darted along the branch into a flying leap.

-oOo-

Not only did Jack lie to her about who he was, but as it turned out, he'd journeyed to her world specifically to seek her out in a mission for the Resistance. Hatter had been right all along, which shouldn't exactly surprise her. Even so, she felt sick to her stomach at the recollection of all the sweet words Jack had spoken to her back home, words that had merely been an attempt to woo her into accompanying him to Wonderland. She was grateful that she'd never actually gotten around to sleeping with him and no longer had any uncertainty about their relationship. As far as she was concerned, it had never existed.

The worst part? The Resistance had sent Jack on the mission because they needed to reunite Alice with her father. That might sound great, except it was instantly made plain that her father had no memory of Alice or his former life in her world. He didn't even know his own name, calling himself "Carpenter." To top it off, he was the Queen's chief engineer. It was he who was responsible for developing the process of distilling Oyster emotions into teas, ensuring her control over the inhabitants of Wonderland. Alice thought about all the junkies inside the building, and her heart broke.

Caterpillar had hoped that seeing his daughter would trigger the engineer's memories, freeing him from the mental shackles the Tweedles had placed on him. If Carpenter woke up, Caterpillar had explained to Alice, he would no doubt dismantle the distillery and free the Oysters from the casino. It would be a crucial victory for the Resistance.

But it hadn't worked. Her own father didn't recognize her or even remember that she existed. She was useless in the fight against the Queen. Her breath hitched, and Alice did something that she _never_ allowed herself to do in public. Alice started to cry.

"Don't cry, Jellybean," comforted Carpenter.

Alice sucked in her breath and stared at her father through watery eyes. Carpenter seemed startled and confused by the words that had just spilled from his mouth.

"Jellybean?" Caterpillar was peering at Carpenter over his red tinted John Lennon glasses. "Is that your special pet name for Alice?"

Hope glimmered in Alice's chest, and she went timidly up to her father. "You called me that all the time. Remember when we had to put Dinah to sleep?" Alice took another tentative step forward. "You rocked me on the porch swing for a whole hour, saying 'Don't cry, Jellybean. Dinah's not hurting anymore.'" Her voice wavered and she dipped into her pocket for his watch. Carpenter's expression didn't change. "This is your watch. See the initials? R.H. Robert Hamilton. That's your name."

Carpenter stood dumbly as Alice fastened the watch around his wrist.

"It doesn't work anymore. It's stuck on the exact date and time that you disappeared."

Carpenter opened his mouth, eyebrows knit in consternation.

_CRACK!_

The boom of a gunshot had everyone diving for the concrete.

"Caterpillar, how disappointing. I was hoping you'd put up something of a fight."

The sound of Mad March's mechanized, inexplicably Long Island-like accent sent shivers down Alice's spine.

"_Where's Hatter?_" The Queen's favorite assassin was striding towards them, smoking revolver still pointed in the air.

Spades were streaming onto the deck behind March like ants, scaling the wall with ropes. More and more emerged, moving briskly to surround Carpenter and the small band of Resistance fighters. There were scores of them, armed to the teeth with guns. The Ten of Clubs, the Queen's head advisor, was last to climb over the wall, and he hovered back uncertainly.

"Weapons away, boys. Can't risk a stray bullet finding its way into Carpenter," March commanded the Suits regretfully. "Queen's orders." He turned his attention to Alice. "Now…I _said_…" He was stalking towards her, lowering his gun to aim at where she was still huddled on the ground. "_WHERE'S HATTER?_"

Alice slowly got to her knees, hands in the air, and glared mutely at the white rabbit head, resisting the urge to dart her eyes frantically for Hatter. She knew he had to be close.

"_Bitch_."

Alice sucked in her breath from the sensation of the gun barrel on her forehead. It was still warm from the warning shot March had fired. She heard a _click_ and squinched her eyes.

_BANG!_

-oOo-

He was too late. Hatter peered out from behind a steel exhaust pipe on the overhang so he could observe the lower deck. Mad March had beaten him to the punch. Alice, Jack, a weathered man in a green duster he presumed was Caterpillar, and about a dozen other men and women were lying on the ground, frightened but alive. He sighed in relief that Alice was unhurt; he had feared the worst when he heard the gunshot. March generally liked to play the intimidation game, but he could also be the type to shoot first and ask questions later. Suits were pouring onto the deck, encircling the figures cowering on the concrete. The Resistance was far outnumbered, and March's men had guns. Lots of guns.

_Right_.

Hatter ducked his head out of sight with his back to the exhaust, forcing himself to keep his breathing steady and his mind focused. He swiftly popped the depleted magazine, the only one he had left, into his pistol with the heel of his silk-covered palm.

"_WHERE'S HATTER?_"

_FUCK._

His back against the steel pipe, Hatter peeked around with one eye, gun cocked and ready. To his horror, Alice was on her knees, her lovely head on the receiving end of Mad March's revolver. Hatter sidled out from behind the exhaust to the brink of the ledge and took careful aim, confident that everyone's attention was currently drawn elsewhere. He hesitated briefly. March had his back to Hatter, partially blocking Alice from view. The angle of a shot to the bulbous rabbit head was dicey, he couldn't risk hitting Alice.

"_Bitch_."

Hatter heard the deadly click of March cocking his gun and made up his mind.

_BANG!_

March slumped forward, nearly tumbling onto a panicked Alice, and lay motionless in a pool of blood. The revolver flew from his hand, skidding past the stupefied Suits to rest at the feet of the Ten of Clubs, who promptly scooped up the firearm and hid it away in his black cloak. Six more shots rang out in quick succession, and the six Suits nearest Alice dropped dead from bullets to the brain.

_Out of ammo_. With what could only be described as a war cry, Hatter launched himself onto the deck below, praying that the Suits would not manage to shoot him down. But he had both luck and surprise on his side. They were still too stunned to rummage for the weapons that March had ordered them to put away, and he managed to land relatively safely on a cluster of dumbfounded Spades. They stumbled into their neighbors, resulting in a domino effect that would have been comical in just about any other situation.

Hatter rolled to his feet and rushed to Alice's side, who was taking on an Ace.

"Y'okay?" He shouted at her, punching a Three in the side of the skull.

"Fabulous. You?" Alice swung the Ace into a group of Spades, knocking them down like bowling pins.

Hatter kneed an Eight in the stomach, sending him soaring with a right hook. "Brilliant."

The Resistance struggled against the odds, Jack and even Caterpillar holding their own. But they were outnumbered, outgunned, and while they had the element of surprise in their favor from Hatter's assault, the effect couldn't last forever. The Suits had recovered their wits and were reaching for their weapons, but thankfully didn't commence with their standard protocol of shooting blindly at anyone and everyone. They must have been too attached to their heads to risk hitting Carpenter and incurring the Queen's wrath. Hatter and Alice had managed to disarm a couple Spades when there was another resounding _CRACK!_

Hatter felt his right leg catch fire. His knee buckled at the pain, and he glanced down, expecting flames to be licking at his skin. Instead he saw a bullet wound in his thigh and dark blood soaking his trousers. Panting, he raised his head to see Alice grappling with a Six. He stumbled back to his feet, his leg throbbing in protest.

"_Hatter_! Behind you!" screamed Alice, still wrestling with the Six.

Hatter turned around to catch sight of Mad March storming at him from the other end of the deck, bleeding from a wound just above his heart and definitely not dead. One of March's ceramic ears had broken off and his muzzle was cracked. He grabbed the barrel of a gun from the hands of a Spade, kicking him to the ground to wrench it from his grasp. Armed, he charged at Hatter, waving the pistol at his face.

Hatter scrambled to locate a discarded gun, any gun. The pain pounded in his leg and he grew dizzy. He could hear Alice shrieking his name, but it was muffled by the ringing in his ears.

_BOOM!_

Hatter's shoulder jerked and he heard an awful cracking noise. He howled in agony and collapsed to his knees, angling his head to take in the sight of bone splintering around the bullet lodged in his upper left arm.

"_Hatter!_" Alice was fighting her way towards him. She had broken free from the Six and was taking down Spades left and right in an effort to reach him. "_HATTER!_" She sounded hysterical.

"_Alice_…" Hatter croaked.

_BANG! BANG!_

Two bullets whizzed past his ears, and two Resistance members crumpled to the ground. "_ALICE!_" Hatter cried out in panic. "_Run_, Alice! Take the ring and get outta here! Go find Charlie!"

Evidently she hadn't heard him, because she didn't deviate from fighting her way towards the wounded man. The reports of gunfire grew more frequent.

Hatter hobbled clumsily to his feet, staggering forward. "_Alice, RUN!_"

"No way!" She shouted, slamming yet another Spade to the concrete.

_Stubborn Oyster__!_ Hatter attempted another step, but his leg buckled again and he dropped to one knee. He could see Alice; she was squirming against the Ten of Clubs, who had somehow managed to lock her into a tight hold. He was striving to pry the ring from her finger and having a rough go of it. Jack was on his knees several paces away, held at gunpoint by a Four while a Seven tied his hands behind his back and stuffed a gag in his mouth. Dozens of lifeless bodies were strewn about the deck.

Suddenly, Caterpillar materialized from nowhere and bolted to Alice's side, dragging a bound and bewildered Carpenter with him. Hatter watched him pop a shriveled green mushroom into his mouth and extend his hand to touch Alice, who was still struggling with the Queen's advisor. Caterpillar swallowed, and in a puff of blue smoke, had vanished along with Alice, Carpenter, and the Ten of Clubs.

_Yes! Thank you, blessed mother of…_

Hatter's internal celebration was short-lived. A blow to his back knocked the wind out of him, sending him flat on his face and flipping his hat to settle on the ground next to his head.

"Hello, Hatter, old buddy. Long time no see."

When he regained his breath, Hatter felt himself laughing into the gritty concrete. This was rewarded with a hard kick to the ribs. He groaned but continued to cackle involuntarily, his nerves ablaze throughout his convulsing body. He felt like sobbing and screaming, but he couldn't quit laughing.

The ring was out of the Queen's grasp, and more importantly, Alice had escaped unscathed with Caterpillar.

Still shaking uncontrollably, Hatter managed to get to his knees, slapping his hat on his head and adjusting the brim. He leered up at Mad March, thinking that he would look enraged if his face weren't a ceramic rabbit.

Hatter burst into fresh laughter. "Oi! What happened to your head, mate? Aren't you s'posed to be dead?"

March stomped forward, and the last thing Hatter saw was the butt of a pistol ramming towards his skull.

And everything went dark.

~TBC~

* * *

**A/N:** Ahhhh, the ol' "everything went dark" routine! Poor Hatter, what does Mad March have in store for him?


	6. Crumbs in the Butter part I

**Disclaimer:** I don't own anything. I just play around and take liberties! Based off SyFy's _Alice_ (2009).

**Warnings: Angsty chap, contains course language, violence, mentions of torture and implied rape.**

**A/N:** This chapter keeps growing, so I figured I'd better post part of it before I head out of town. BTW Mad March is the one with the vendetta against Hatter, not me! Things have to go down to come up ;D Thanks for reading and reviewing, I love you guys _almost_ as much as I love Hatter =)

* * *

_Poof!_

Three figures tumbled out of a cloud of blue smoke into a heap on the dewy grass. Caterpillar stepped out casually, extending a hand to assist the bound Carpenter. Alice leapt to her feet, ready for action. The Ten of Clubs was busy untangling himself from his ample sleeves, and Alice took the opportunity to lock his arms behind his back. With a thud, Mad March's revolver dropped to the grass from where it had been concealed in Ten's cloak, and Alice kicked it to Caterpillar.

"Help me tie him up!"

Caterpillar ducked his papery hand into his army green duster to trade the handgun for a ball of twine and a jackknife.

"That'll do. I've got his wrists, you take care of his ankles."

"That really isn't neces – _Ouch_!" The Ten of Clubs yelped when Alice yanked on his bindings.

"Yes, it is."

Alice took a second to survey their surroundings. They were in the forest not too far from the entrance to the Hospital of Dreams. Peering through the trees, her eyes swept up the drawbridge and over the expanse of the building. She swore under her breath when she spotted March's stealth scarab floating away, presumably en route to the Happy Hearts casino. _Hatter…_

"_Cuckaw! Cuckaw!_"

"What the…?" The confused party glanced around for the source of the sounds.

"_Ki-kiri-ki! Ki-kiri-ki!_"

The rather unbirdlike birdcalls were coming from a fat bush ahead of them. Alice thought she spied a glint of white armor, and stamping their hooves a few yards away were Arthur and Guinevere.

"Charlie!" Alice rushed to the bush in question.

The white knight popped straight up from the shrubbery like a Jack-in-the-Box. "Justalice! The Fates have smiled upon us yet again!" he announced grandly. "How magnificent to see you alive and well!" Charlie drew her into a grandfatherly hug over the bush, then scowled at the other men suspiciously.

Caterpillar ambled over to meet them. He had Ten and Carpenter in tow, and they were hobbling awkwardly, constricted by the twine. Alice barely stifled a snort when Ten tripped over his feet more than once.

"And _who_…" Charlie marched out from behind the shrub, "are these…_vagabonds_?" He bent over the Ten of Clubs, cocking his head and staring him down with one eye, brows arched to the heavens.

"You're a knight!" Ten's ordinarily bored countenance verged on astonishment, and possibly a twinge of fear.

Charlie gathered himself up proudly. "A white knight, to be precise! _And you are…_"

"The Ten of –" The swarthy man shook his head. "I mean, Santiago. Er, Santi, I guess."

Charlie eyed him warily. "And what, pray tell, are you doing bound hand and foot like that? It's terribly tricky to get around that way, you know!" he scolded.

Santi shifted uncomfortably. "Well…"

"Noble knight," interrupted Caterpillar. "Allow me to introduce myself. They call me Caterpillar."

"Ah, yes, Caterpillar. The Lady Alice's Harbinger told me all about the Resistance against the treacherous Queen of Hearts." The old man grew even taller. "Sir Charles Eustace Fotheringhay le Malvoy the _Third_, at your service." The white knight bowed his head and circled his hand graciously in a curtsy. "But you may call me Charlie. I am sworn to protect the Alice of Legend. Consider me your greatest ally in the war against the Hearts." He said all this in an exaggerated, borderline pompous manner.

"Thank you, Charlie, perhaps you can be of service to us already." Caterpillar spoke in his lethargic, baritone voice. "Alice and I have just had a rather narrow escape from the Queen's army. We must seek refuge and formulate our next move." He gestured to Carpenter and Santi. "These two men here are my political prisoners, we have to harbor them as well."

Santi flashed Charlie an ironic smile. Carpenter kept his head bowed in thought, raising it occasionally to gape at Alice.

The old knight puffed out his chest and lifted his bearded chin. "My sanctuary in the ancient Kingdom of the Knights is but a few hours from here on horseback. It is a safe haven, protected by _cosmic powers_ beyond the usurper's reckoning." He emphasized "cosmic powers" with an enigmatic tone, opening his palms to the sky and rolling his eyes into his skull.

"Excellent!" Caterpillar looked pleased. "One moment." He disappeared into a dense cluster of trees and emerged with a dappled gray stallion. "What?" he responded dryly to the party's mystified expressions. "_Always_ have an escape plan." He patted his duster and shot a pointed glance in Carpenter and Santi's direction, reminding them of March's revolver. He stooped to untie their ankles and began helping them onto the horses.

"_Ki-kiri-ki! Ki-kiri-ki!_" Charlie's face was to the sky, hands cupping his mouth in a mock megaphone. "_Hoot-hoo! Hoot-hoo!_"

"Charlie!" Alice tugged on his arm, distracting him from his crowing. "What's with the birdcalls?"

"Ah! Alerting your Harbinger of your presence, of course! He should be on his way back down now!"

The girl's heart clenched. "Charlie…Hatter's not here."

"Well naturally he's not _here_, he's scaling the Hospital of Dreams, trying to protect _you_! I shall call louder this time." He inhaled a lungful of air, bringing his hands back to cup his mouth, but Alice placed her small palm upon his armor-clad shoulder, halting him. He peered down at her quizzically.

"Hatter already found me, that's how we escaped from the Suits." She tried to hold her voice steady. "They got him, Charlie. They're taking him to the casino." She gulped. "And I'm going after him."

"To the casino? But that's certain death!"

"He'd do the same for me and you know it!" Alice's voice cracked.

"Well of course I know _that_, my dear. That's what the boy just _did_, after all!"

"They'll kill him! I have to try!" Alice choked on a sob.

"Alice…" Caterpillar strolled to her side, leading Arthur and the dappled gray, who were laden with the "political prisoners," by the reins. "I understand that you want to help your friend, but –"

"But nothing!"

Caterpillar hushed Alice with a reprimanding glare over his round merlot-colored glasses. "Alice, Charlie is correct. It would be suicide. That kid who shot Mad March –"

"His name's _Hatter_," Alice bit viciously.

"_Hatter_ risked his life to save yours and to aid the Resistance. Don't cheapen his sacrifice by getting yourself killed. Or worse, giving them a way to hurt him more by hurting you."

"I don't –" Alice started.

"We'll do everything we can to get him out of the casino," Caterpillar raised his voice to cut off the girl's protests. "But you can't blindly charge in by yourself. We need a strategy."

Alice was seething, but she knew his words were wise. She put her face in her palms and silently nodded her head, dragging her feet over to Guinevere. Hot nausea slammed her body in disgust for herself and dread for Hatter. But she forced it down, focusing on the task at hand. The sooner they worked out a plan, the sooner they would rescue Hatter. Hopefully before it was too late…

-oOo-

"_Mummy? Muuuuuuummmyyyy! Where are you, Mummy?"_

Jackpot. _The adolescent boy turned a deaf ear to his baby sister's calls for their mother. He had more important matters to attend to. He'd spent the months following their father's death searching for the old man's secret stash, and he'd just discovered a substantial cache of bottles in a concealed chamber beneath the floorboards. Up to this point, he'd only found the odd vial tucked under a cushion or roosting on a windowsill. He lugged the crate up to his room to perform a taste test. _Damn! _The old man had some good chesh. He could trade some of it for a month's worth of groceries and still have plenty left over._

"_MUMMY?"_

_The boy froze mid-sip, chestnut brown hair quivering around the brim of his father's tweed newsboy cap. He couldn't ignore the fright in the little girl's voice. Dropping an orange-yellow bottle of compassion, the lanky juvenile sprinted out the door and down the stairs._

_His kid sister was hovering at the base of the staircase, shivering in the thin fabric of her ragged nightgown. Her sweet face was veiled by her long strawberry blonde hair, her arms were cuddling a tattered Alice of Legend doll._

"_What are –"_

_The little girl peeked up at him through her curls. "What's wrong with Mummy?" She pointed to the sofa across the room. "She looks scary!"_

"_Dunno sweetheart. C'mere."_

_A striking woman with a golden, freckle-spattered complexion lay on the sofa, flaming red hair fanning about her face. Her green eyes were open and glazed, her lips were pale, and she clutched a brick-red leather flask in one hand. The boy wrenched it from her stiff fingers and took a whiff. _Phew!_ It was _strong._ Whetting his tongue, cotton candy came to mind. He couldn't put his finger on all the ingredients, it was clearly a hefty blend, but he could definitely pick out daydream tea, his mother's primary poison of choice in the recent months. The siblings had been scraping for food and taking care of the flat while she spent her days and nights staring into space, flask in hand. Their mother had been long gone before she'd even caught the Cheshire._

_The boy calmly gathered the shivering girl in his arms. "Shhh, Bitsy Bonnet, it's okay. There's nothing to be scared of, yeah? I've gotcha."_

"_My tummy hurts," Bitsy Bonnet whined._

"_Here baby, take this." The boy tilted the flask to his sister's lips, feeding her a couple drops of their mother's final cocktail. "Shhhh." He knocked back the last dregs, gently cradling the girl as her shivering subsided. A wave of euphoria washed over his body. He felt content and soporific, and he started fantasizing about owning a lucrative business and all the perks that went along with it. Together, brother and sister rocked until they zoned out into a dreamless sleep…_

…_Clockwork's not ticking properly._

Distant voices echoed in the murky stillness.

"For fuck's sake! How do you expect to get him to start talkin' if he keeps passin' out?"

"Oh, we have our ways…"

"Yes, we have our ways…"

"Good for you, ya lunatics. But I don't see no progress and he's no good to me unconscious."

"Come, come, we're just having a bit of fun."

"Yes, just playing a little game."

"Yeah? Well it's my turn to have some fun. Now _piss off_. Don't come back without a fresh batch of whatever ya got in your dungeon stores. I got plans for this kid."

-oOo-

"If we don't come up with a scathingly brilliant scheme soon, I'm going to the casino by myself. You know you can't stop me!"

The men shifted their attention from their barbequed borogove to the girl pacing circles around the bonfire. Alice didn't feel like eating, and she certainly couldn't sit still.

"Alice, try to find some patience," chided Caterpillar. "We'll think of something."

"What you're _thinking_ about is hot food in your bellies," she snapped, "when Hatter is probably being tortured to death by that homicidal maniac!" Her voice went up an octave. "So don't go telling me to find some patience!"

Alice was met with silence. She paused to glare from person to person, but the men avoided eye contact. Carpenter was fidgeting with his broken watch and Santi took a drink from the club-shaped flask that hung from his neck. The rest of their bindings had been cut, the danger of the forest at night was insurance enough. The prisoners weren't going anywhere.

"_Well?_" She continued her rampage around the fire.

Santi waggled his flask. "Someone give the girl a dose of this, that'll shut her up."

Alice loomed over the Ten of Clubs. "I don't want your goddamn Oyster tea!" She was practically screaming. Santi just shrugged and took another gulp.

Caterpillar rose from his seat on the log, palms up as if to steady her. "Alice, maybe it's not such a bad idea to take _one_ sip. Calm the nerves. You're hysterical."

The brunette gawked at him. "Are you _kidding_ me? I don't want anything to do with that shit! They drain it from Oysters! _I'm_ a fucking Oyster!" She clenched her fists and tilted her face to the starry sky in exasperation. "_FUCK!_" Then she spun around and stomped off.

"My Lady! Where do you think you're going?" Charlie sounded alarmed.

"I fucking have to go to the bathroom, alright? Am I not allowed to take a fucking piss in the woods? _Jesus!_"

Fuming, Alice melted into the shadows of a tree to relieve herself. _Breathe, Alice. Count to ten…but not the Ten of Clubs,_ she amended in a private joke. Reluctantly, she trudged back to the flickering light of the bonfire, where three of the men sat watching her in apprehension. Carpenter remained engrossed with his watch.

With a heavy sigh, Alice plopped on the log next to Charlie, who patted her on the shoulder. No one spoke for a while, each person lost in thought and gazing into the crackling flames. Caterpillar packed a corncob pipe with pungent leaves, absentmindedly puffing clouds of smoke into the night air.

"This was a gift."

Four stunned pairs of eyes darted to the speaker. Four pairs of lungs froze mid-breath.

"From you. For my 35th birthday." The balding man kept fiddling with his watch. "You must have sold a lot of lemonade that summer." He was peering at Alice, his craggy, firelit features creeping onto the inklings of a smile.

A strange half laugh, half sob spilled forth from Alice. "Mom met me halfway, or I would've been shoveling a lot of sidewalks that winter, too."

Carpenter actually guffawed. "Alice!" He sprung to his feet.

"Dad!" Alice dashed to her father, crashing into a warm embrace. "We've missed you so much!" She was crying in public again, but for completely different reasons.

"Jellybean," Carpenter pulled back to take in her shining face. "I should've known you the moment I saw you." He turned to the dumbfounded men seated around the blazing fire. "My name is Robert Hamilton. Alice is my daughter." He apparently felt a need to make this declaration. "And I don't have a use for _this_ anymore," he muttered. Reaching into his shirt pocket, he extracted a bronze flask and began dumping the contents on the soil.

"Hey!" shouted Santi. "Don't waste it! Give it to me! What is it?"

Robert Hamilton didn't stop pouring. "There won't be any Oyster tea anymore. The distillery is through. The harvest is through. The Queen is through."

Santi dove for the flask, snatching it from Hamilton's hand. He put a drop on his tongue, smacking his lips and sniffing the inside of the container. "Hmmm…tastes like…a little fulfillment…and a lot of clear conscience." He tucked the bronze flask away in his cloak. "I like your style, wanna try my favorite blend?" He raised the silver club dangling from his neck in an offering.

"Did you not hear what I just said?"

"Well, if you're serious about all that, then I figured we should at least enjoy the last of bit of chesh before it runs out." The Queen's advisor took another swig from the club. "Amusement and patience…Delightful," he drolled sardonically. "How else am I supposed to cope with the Queen's madness day in, day out? I'm more of an attendant than an advisor anyway. I'd be glad to be rid of her."

The rest of the group stared at the Ten of Clubs in shocked silence.

"What?" Santi shrugged half-heartedly. "We're _all_ dispensable, you know. It was just a matter of time before she had _my_ head." He gazed pensively into the fire, taking intermittent pulls from his flask. Suddenly, his face lit up. "Hey! I have an idea…"

-oOo-

"You know, I always did have a thing for that spicy little sister of yours. Smelled like cinnamon. Hair like a fox..." Mad March paused. "Fucked like a dead fish."

Fresh blood oozed from Hatter's shackles as he strained to unleash his rage on the man before him. Low, dangerous curses spewed from his lips and his stormy eyes bolted lightning.

"Although, come to think of it, she _was_ out cold from that concentrated dose of sleepy chesh I slipped her, so I guess it wasn't entirely her fault she was such a lousy lay. But I never went back for sloppy seconds."

A cracked, strangled roar escaped Hatter's chest and he thrashed against his chains, feet anchored to the floor and arms stretched over his head. The metal was chafing his wrist and ankle bones in his futile attempt to murder Mad March. _Again_. His fury pulsed through the cell like a sonic boom, his skull looked like it might pop out of his skin and the veins on his neck and temples were throbbing.

March chuckled menacingly, wiping away the blood that Hatter had managed to spit onto his ceramic muzzle and stepping out of range. His white rabbit head sat perfectly still atop his sharp suit, witnessing his victim's frenzy fade and wither into exhaustion.

Hatter's chest was heaving, his wild hair even wilder in the absence of his hat. His head lolled and his body slumped. The cuffs that tethered his wrists to the stone wall were bearing the brunt of his weight. His injuries screamed, especially the bullet wound in his arm and the fractures in his ribs, but putting his full weight on his feet was virtually impossible. So he alternated between hanging limply by his wrists, back against the dank stone, and standing shakily on his legs, leaning forward to pull the wrist chains taut and balance his weight. Every few minutes he'd attempt another weak struggle, but his strength was diminished.

His skin was riddled with burns, slashes, and bruises from the Tweedles' sadism. His shackles had rubbed him raw to the bone, and he'd lost a fair amount of blood. He had no concept of how long he'd gone without water, having faded in and out of consciousness repeatedly throughout the physical and psychological torture. He'd resisted their mental torment thus far, but he didn't know how much longer he could block them out. Their attack on his mind was rustling up his deep past, and he wanted to rest. Couldn't he just have a lie down?

Hatter hardly jerked at the echoes of Mad March's approaching footfalls. He didn't bother lifting his chin when a pair of coal-black steel-toed boots edged into his field of vision. One of the steel toes was momentarily out of sight, reappearing in the form of a savage kick to the stomach. Hatter dry-heaved, acidic bile burning in his throat, and he did his best to spit out the taste along with the fresh burst of tinny blood in his otherwise parched mouth.

"I got somethin' for ya. Brought it 'specially for you, old buddy."

Hatter didn't respond, still trying to get the bitterness of bile off his tongue. It wasn't working.

"Kinda rude not to say anything when I tell ya I brought you a gift."

Hatter hacked out a harsh bark of a laugh.

"Rude or not, I'm feelin' generous today." March reached inside his blazer to reveal a small manila envelope. Hatter heard the crinkling of paper before March thrust a hand into his sightline, forcing him to look at his "gift."

"Recognize this?" March's voice would've sounded jubilant if it wasn't electronic.

A jade comb carved into an exquisite prismwing inlaid with iridescent mother of pearl sat on March's palm. A dusting of cinnamon swirled under Hatter's nose.

"Gotta get a memento from all my girls." March held the open envelope to Hatter's nostrils. It was filled halfway with ground cinnamon.

"I sure did like the way your sister smelled. Y'know, they say the sense of smell has the strongest link to memory."

"_How do I look?"_

"_Like a bloody angel, that's what."_

_Bonnie giggled. "Thanks big brother, I flippin' love it!" She patted the jade prismwing perched in her auburn curls. "I'm absolutely wearin' it when we go to March's party tonight." She gave Hatter a hug and a kiss on the cheek. Her plush purple coat felt soft and she smelled like cinnamon and honeyberry tobacco. "Love ya!"_

Exhausted, broken, Hatter's shoulders shook and tears streamed from his eyes.

"But I can't fuckin' smell nothin' no more, thanks to you!" March lurched the pouch upwards, hurling the powdery contents at Hatter's tear-stained, blood-caked face.

Hatter's eyes stung and he sneezed, coughing spastically, unable to wipe his face. His salty tears dripped off the tip of his nose, which was runny from the triple effects of blood, tears and ground cinnamon.

March dumped the remains of the envelope on Hatter's head, discarding the empty pouch over his shoulder. "_Disgusting_." He gave the tortured man one more half-assed kick to the shin and sauntered out of the cell, Bonnie's comb tucked neatly away in his blazer.

Hatter slipped back into unconsciousness.

-oOo-

It was infinitely more terrifying than the Hospital of Dreams.

An involuntary shudder ran through Alice from the top of her head to the tips of her toes. The hair on her arms stood straight up, and she wished she hadn't left the comforting warmth of her velvet coat at Charlie's camp…or tossed away her raspberry tights, destroyed though they were.

_Okay, Alice, you can do this._ She sidled along the clammy rock of the underground dungeons, doing her best to shut out the desperate shrieks and wails muffled by the solid iron doors of the cells. Not to mention the rancid odors suspended in the stuffy air. She closed her eyes, visualizing the layouts of the casino tiers and subterranean tunnels that Santi had drafted in the dirt by the firepit.

"_There's no way of knowing where he is in the dungeons," _Santi had warned when Alice had insisted she undertake a rescue mission._ "Even if you find him, there's no guarantee he'll still be himself…or even alive."_

Santi seemed quite familiar with the dungeons and the Tweedles' practices there. _"Those crackpots drain Oysters of…_unfavorable_…emotions. They use a modified version of Carpen–, I mean, _Hamilton's, _distillation process."_

Alice's father had been outraged. He'd never even been aware that Oysters were handed over to the twin "doctors."

Alice wondered what monstrosities the Tweedles could be doing to the Oysters to drain "unfavorable" emotions, as Santi called them. If the blood-curdling din was any indication…Alice didn't want to think about it.

She cautiously poked her head around the corner to check the dim hallway, March's revolver at the ready. Empty. _Good._ Santi had assured her that Doctors Dee and Dum didn't bother with guards; they liked their privacy. She hoped he and her father were faring okay. They'd separated after successfully smuggling Alice to the dungeon's outer entrance under cover of the pre-dawn mist. Santi's idea could work, but it was risky. Hopefully everything would go according to plan in the casino and Charlie and Caterpillar would come through on their end.

Alice stole along the corridor, listening intently for the tone of Hatter's voice. She wasn't exactly certain what she'd do when she found his cell, but that was inconsequential. She had to find him, that's all there was to it.

Maybe it was wishful thinking, but she could have sworn she heard a muted, _"Alice!"_ There was no time to waste. Throwing caution to the wind, she blindly tore around the next corner only to be greeted by the sole of a steel-toed boot crushing her lungs. The gun flew from her hand as Alice was knocked to the floor, unable to catch her breath. She got to her hands and knees, gasping for air, but was flattened onto her stomach by the heavy boot.

"Twinkle, twinkle, little bat," came the cruel electronic voice. "How I wonder what you're at."

Alice's face was squashed into the cold, gritty stone as the boot ground forcefully into her spine.

"Naughty little Oyster, no one likes a sneak. Know what a guy like me does to a sneak like you?"

~TBC~

* * *

**A/N:** March is a total psychopath. And I never intended any of that for poor Bonnie. She probably realized she was assaulted, but didn't necessarily know whodunit, and she wouldn't have told Hatter. It wouldn't be an unheard of occurrence for the junkies anyway, am I right? Please review, it keeps me motivated ;)


	7. Crumbs in the Butter part II

**Disclaimer:** I don't own anything. I just play around and take liberties! Based off SyFy's _Alice_ (2009).

**Warnings: Angsty chap, contains course language, graphic violence, mentions of torture.**

**A/N:** I really hope you guys enjoy this chapter! *bites nails*

* * *

_Mirror, mirror, on the wall. Who's the fairest of them all?_

Mary Elizabeth Constance Devillious Heart glared sternly at her image, a vial of fuchsia vanity clutched in her thick-as-sausage fingers. Stretched across her broad face was a pair of wide, toad-like lips painted a garish scarlet. False eyelashes curled all the way up to her eyebrows, and her unnaturally crimson hair was piled atop her bloated head like a small town beauty queen. Her steely eyes were sharp and cold.

A crystal heart, about the size of a coconut half, hung from a string of pearls around her leathery neck. The heart, which rested upon her ample bosom, was caged in fine gold filigree that spiraled outward into curly Q's at the bottom point. The crystal itself was hollowed into four compartments, two on either side, each filled with a colored liquid. Currently, the shades of her cocktails were silvery blue, cloudy white, deep burgundy, and emerald green. A quartet of ruby-encrusted caps protruded from the filigree, cresting each compartment.

_Tasteful_ and _subtle_ were not words commonly heard upon Mary Heart's lips.

The Queen lifted her flask to eye level and popped open the silver-blue compartment with her thumb. In a highly practiced ritual, she took a sip of the shimmering blue drink, then a sip of the vanity, and repeated the actions, alternating between the two until she had consumed every last drop. She set down the empty vial, observing her reflected features soften into a sweet smile. Satisfied, she waddled to her cabinet to replenish the clear cavity in her crystal heart.

Running her fingers along the labels of her personal stores, she muttered irritably to herself. "_Pah!_" she huffed aloud, "Not one of these will do!" She stamped her foot impatiently.

"Number Ten!" she bellowed.

No answer.

"Number _Ten!_" She whirled around, prepared to storm out of her private chambers.

"_NUMBER TEN!"_

The double doors opened a crack, and a rosy-cheeked man in a red pinstripe suit peeked his head tentatively into the room.

"Mary, my sweet candy heart, I thought I heard your dulcet tones! What is it that you need?"

The Queen stared daggers at her husband. "Winston, where is that impudent Ten of Clubs? I've been calling for him and he's not here!"

"Now, my pet, remember what Mad March told us?" The King spoke patiently. "Number Ten was taken hostage by Caterpillar's army along with Carpenter and the Oyster girl." Winston cringed. "And…your ring."

Steam practically spouted from Mary's ears at the reminder of such a humiliating outrage. She took a swig of the green cocktail.

"And _why_ haven't we found them? Where's Mad March?"

"Er, dearest, remember? You commanded March to track them down just yesterday. He must be out hunting them down this very minute."

The Queen was silent for a moment, considering. "Quite right," she admitted mildly.

"Now, my scrumptious strawberry, what was it that you needed?" He hadn't deviated from his place at the doorway.

"My personal stores have grown rather dull. I need someone to go to the distillery and mix something up for me. Something I've not yet tried. Something original and…unexpected."

Winston snapped his fingers at a Spade standing sentry in the corridor, who made haste to carry out the Queen's bidding.

With a smug smirk, Mary took another drink, sashaying through the velvet drapes to her private terrace, silken red robes swishing about her rotund body.

-oOo-

"Which one, which one?"

"How about this?"

"No, no, the boy has plenty of anger in him."

"How _does_ he have such strong emotions, I wonder?"

"Ho hum, nevermind that. How about this?"

"Oh dear, that won't do at all. We want him to remember where the Great Library is, you know."

"Oh very well, I had forgotten all about that. Ah! I know just the thing!"

"And I know just the other thing!"

Cynically insane cackles bounced off the stone and echoed thickly in Hatter's ears. He sluggishly lifted his head and blinked in an effort to sharpen his blurry vision. A pair of grayish blobs moved closer, and Hatter steeled himself for more agonizing torture. He glowered at the blobs with a clenched jaw, stifling a groan when they simultaneously jabbed hypodermic needles into each bicep. _Well, this is new_.

Hatter could make out the blobs circling what was probably a hospital cart, and he could distinguish the sounds of clinking glass and tapping steel.

Then the terror crept in. Right from the pit of his stomach. And panic when the blobs approached yet again. This time, he struggled against his chains and yelped in pain when the dull needles pierced his flesh. _What are these bloody headcases doin' to me?_

He must have said as much out loud, because the blobs chortled.

"Oh, a little of this."

"A little of that."

They sounded positively boastful.

"Just some fresh Oyster tea…"

"From our fresh dungeon stores."

_Oyster tea?_ Hatter knew a thing or two about emotion teas, but he'd never come across anything like _this_. Doubt leaked into his brain. He tried to shake it off. "Didn't know the Hearts harvested anythin' but sunshine, rainbows, that sorta thing," he croaked. His pulse was going a mile a minute and he was getting nauseous.

"Oh, what the Queen doesn't know…"

"Doesn't hurt the Queen."

"Let's just say we have free reign."

"And we _do_ dislike wastefulness."

Hatter stared blankly at the twins, focusing his energy on slowing his heart.

"What do you think happens to all the little Oysters?"

"Once they're drained of all the good?"

Hatter couldn't manage a response. He was having trouble discerning whether his inner turmoil was real or a result of the injections. He surmised it was probably a composite of the two, each one feeding off the other.

"They become our little pets!"

"We play with them all we like!"

"We can distill much more of _our_ chesh."

"Using _our_ methods."

"And they never run out of the bad."

"Oh, certainly not!"

"Not when we're having our fun!"

The twins erupted into chuckles, slapping their knees as if someone had just told a hilarious joke.

Hatter's anger, authentic anger, rumbled through his body. But his tolerance for teas must have only extended to the positive ones he was accustomed to, and his wrath soon dissipated into his previous state of terror, panic, doubt, and…what else? He didn't recognize the rest. He'd never consumed anything purely negative from an Oyster.

The blobs continued speaking in their peculiar fashion of finishing one another's sentences.

"And we have just dosed you…"

"With our freshest…"

"_Purest_…"

"Most concentrated chesh…"

"From the tasty Oysters…"

"In our tasty dungeons…"

Hatter made every effort to remain calm as the insane doctors went back to their cart of vibrant beakers. His vision had cleared considerably, and he could see that they were refilling the same syringes with more tea. His stomach felt like lead and cold sweat was pouring off his face.

He was screaming when they stabbed him again, this time in his armpits.

He was losing control.

-oOo-

Mary sipped thoughtfully from her crystal flask. The periwinkle concoction the Spade had brought her wasn't all that different from what she commonly drank, and she made a mental note to have him decapitated. She gazed out over the green field towards the horizon, her balcony facing away from the distant towers of the hazy city.

"Your majesty!" The Nine of Clubs burst through the cardinal red drapes. "They're back!"

"You foolish Club! Don't you know how to knock?"

"Now, my dearest, to be fair, it _is_ rather tricky to knock on velvet." Winston had appeared behind Number Nine, hands clasped behind his back.

"Good heavens, Winston, don't encourage him! He should be dealt with!"

"In time, my sweet. He has good news!"

"Good news?" Mary turned towards Nine. "Well?"

Nine cleared his throat. "Your majesty, Number Ten has returned with Carpenter."

"Returned?"

Winston rocked back on his heels. "Yes, my delectable apple dumpling! Remember? They were captured by the Resistance."

"So Mad March found them, then?"

"On the contrary, your majesty," corrected Nine. "They escaped Caterpillar's hideout and crossed the water in a stolen boat!"

"Escaped?" The Queen let out a haughty laugh. "That wasn't so difficult, now was it? The Resistance, what a delightful joke!"

"Indeed, your majesty!"

"And my ring?"

Nine glanced nervously at Winston, who shrugged. "Well…they informed us that the girl still has it and that she's been taken to an undisclosed, secure location."

Mary's nostrils flared. "And _that's_ your good news?" There was a hint of danger to her voice.

The Nine of Clubs stammered. Winston stepped in. "Now, poppet…"

"Don't you 'now poppet' me, you buffoon! I wear the crown around here! Off with his head!"

Nine squeaked. Winston looked at him discreetly, raising his eyebrows and jerking his head to indicate that he should leave. What the Queen didn't realize was that she'd sentenced Number Nine to be executed just the other day, and Winston had overruled her orders. Her authority was slipping, but she was oblivious, placated by praise and high on a steady stream of feel-good Oyster emotions.

She took a few sips of the cloudy white cocktail. Winston made to pat her on the shoulder, but she shoved him away, staring out over the balustrade. A flock of squawking birds flew overhead in a V. There wasn't a cloud in sight.

"Mary, my dear, we really should be on our way to the throne room, hear what Carpenter and Number Ten have to say. Perhaps they've uncovered clues that will help us crush the Resistance once and for all?" Winston spoke slowly, carefully, as though he were tiptoeing through a minefield.

"You handle it." The Queen waved her hand dismissively. "And send Number Ten in here when you're through."

"Yes, dear."

-oOo-

Hatter had to focus on something other than the suffering and the horror. Anything. The cinnamon that stuck to his olfactory glands said _Bonnie_.

"_That one's Diocles. See?" The redhead pointed to the night sky from where she lay in the cool grass._

"_Where?"_

"_See that big green one?"_

_Hatter's eyes swept the starry sky. "Yep!"_

"_And the small cluster just beneath it?"_

"_Yep!"_

"_K. Those are s'posed to be his fist. See how those three other stars form a triangle to the left? That's his body, and the bright one there is his head!"_

"_Diocles, eh?"_

"_Yep! He was a…"_

_Hatter gazed up at the sky as his sister rambled on about Diocles, arms crossed behind his head. She'd found a thick book filled with sky charts, star facts, and legends about the constellations in the same dumpster they'd discovered Dormie. The book was tattered and missing a number of pages, but she treated it with care and reverence. All three were literate, yet not one of them had ever seen an actual book before. Bonnie spent entire afternoons poring over the charts, puffing on her pipe and sipping a steaming cup of fascination, soaking up the ancient knight mythology. She'd continued to read it long after she'd memorized the entire thing word for word._

_Hatter himself never opened Bonnie's star book. He liked to listen to her enthusiastic chatter. He knew how much she loved talking about it, so he let her teach it all to him. By the end, he also had the entire thing memorized. After she was gone, he ravenously devoured the books in the Great Library, as if it would compensate for the reality that she'd never get the chance to read any of them._

Bonnie made Hatter's heart ache. He had to occupy his mind with something else.

"_I was afraid you weren't coming back."_

"_You still don't trust me?"_

_Cinnamon wafting from Alice in a certain purple coat. Alice glowing in the moonlight. Lovely Alice. Wet Alice. Sniffing her damp dark hair. Refreshing taste of spring water on her neck. Fragrant vanilla rising from her ivory skin._

_Alice…_

Alice had escaped. Alice was alive.

The shattered man had salvaged one whole piece of his heart, and that's what he clung to.

Then he heard an electronic voice that fused one more piece – a piece of hatred. He could cling to that, too.

"I'll take it from here. Leave us," the voice ordered.

"Oh, but this is _ever_ so much fun!"

"Yes, we're not through with him yet!"

"I said _scram_, you nutjobs!" March kicked at them, and they begrudgingly made their way out the solid iron door.

"Hatter, glad to see you're awake, old buddy! I got another surprise for ya."

Hatter couldn't keep the trepidation from coursing through his veins. And whatever else was mingling with his blood cells.

"But _first_…"

Hatter watched March fill the Tweedle's syringes with a greenish-yellow liquid. He'd already seen the twins use that color, but he had no energy to wonder what it was. He was in shackles, beaten, dehydrated, low on blood, and drugged with who knows what. He felt powerless, resigning himself to the inevitable. At least Alice was safe.

"Wanna know what this is?" March had positioned himself in front of the broken man.

When Hatter didn't answer, he got another boot to the ribs.

"I asked you a question."

Nothing.

"I'll tell ya anyway. It's ultra-concentrated cowardice. Hot and fresh. You should see what those weirdoes do to the Oysters in the coward cells." Like the twins before him, March laughed at some unspoken joke. "I'll assume the crazy docs already shot you up with plenty of chesh, judgin' by all those puncture marks on your skin –"

Hatter uttered a feeble whimper.

"– And the pathetic way you're actin' right now." He held up the two syringes. "So, these little beauties oughta do the trick."

Hatter screwed up his face and bellowed when March skewered him with both needles just to the left of his sternum, _Pulp Fiction_ style. His heart felt like it might explode, and he could sense the tea traveling through his bloodstream.

March waited until Hatter's howls had subsided before unfastening his shackles. No strength in his legs, the tortured man crumpled to his feet. The white rabbit gave Hatter one more brutal kick with his steel toe, sending him rolling. Hatter managed to crawl his way to a corner, curled up and trembling, nursing the raw wounds on his wrists and ankles. He had no idea why March had freed him, and he wished he could escape, but he was petrified, glued to the spot.

"You're gonna wanna see this."

Hatter was scared to look, but he dug down deep and peeked one eye open.

March stood next to a glass partition in the stone that Hatter hadn't noticed before. He watched the assassin reach up and flip a switch, illuminating the glass. And there was his Alice on the other side of a one-way mirror.

"Look who I caught sneaking around."

-oOo-

Things were going smoothly. A little _too_ smoothly, in Santi's opinion. The King and court had accepted the yarn he and Hamilton had woven about the daring escape from their hostile imprisonment. Alice had even roughed them up a bit before arriving at the casino to make their story more believable. No one had questioned them; the entire court had merely applauded and taken celebratory shots from their individual flasks.

Santi knew that the Queen had the batches of tea that were rationed to her subjects spiked with amenability, (which is why he'd always gone directly to Carpenter for his own supplies), but he still found himself on edge, waiting for someone to find a hole in their tall tale.

To his relief, when the Queen had summoned him to her chambers, she wasn't the least bit curious about their adventure. She had simply wanted to instruct him to go to Carpenter and come up with some new concoctions for her. "_Surprise me_," she'd directed. When she'd entrusted him with her crystal heart, Santi's eyes had threatened to pop out of his skull.

Yes, things were going far too smoothly.

He wondered how Alice was faring in her mad attempt to rescue her boyfriend. He'd discover her status soon enough and whether or not he had to dash underground to deal with the twins. He hoped it wouldn't come to that, but no one in the court, not even the King, seemed to know anything about a captive Resistance fighter. That worried him a great deal, because in all likelihood that meant March had something personal against this Hatter. If he was keeping this below the radar to use the doctors' dungeons for his own vendetta…

Maybe things weren't going so smoothly after all. He picked up his pace.

Head bowed in thought, Santi rounded the corner and collided with a woman's body that had been walking just as quickly in the opposite direction. He stumbled a little, but the woman was knocked to the ground.

"Duchess! I'm so sorry! Forgive me!" Santi fussed over the leggy blonde, unsure of where to touch her as he tried to help her back to her feet. She waved off his fumbling attempts to assist her and stood on her own, dusting off her purple pleather minidress.

Truth be told, Duchess was showing far less skin than usual, the sheer mesh cutouts baring only her midriff and a bit of her chest. Her legs were covered in lavender tights and white knee-high boots, her shoulders and neck were clad in cap sleeves and a mock turtleneck. She looked like she had stepped right out of one of those campy Oyster science fiction films that Santi loved so much.

He owned a variety of pirated Oyster VHS tapes as well as a compact TV/VCR that he kept locked in a secret anteroom in his quarters. He had a junkie contact in the Great Library that snuck him books, Oyster movies, and other gems in exchange for teas from the distillery. The furtive duo didn't share information, they benefited solely from a mutual desire for something that was forbidden in their own corner of the world. Ten would have been charged with sedition and sentenced to death by the Queen. The junkie would have been shot by Dodo for risking their security.

"Number Ten, I've been looking for you."

Santi woke from his sci-fi reverie. "Duchess?"

"I was hoping to hear some more details of your fascinating story. I'm awfully curious, it must have been terrifying!" She spoke in a satiny, ditzy voice that reminded him of Marilyn Monroe.

Santi's heart pounded rapidly. _Did she know?_ Most people bought the Duchess' façade of a witless beauty, but Santi knew better. He gulped, his throat dry.

"Um, certainly…but can this wait? I'm on my way to get the Queen her tea."

"Playing fetch for her majesty?"

Santi's eyes narrowed. "Is that all? You came looking for me to taunt me?"

"Santiago…" The tone of her voice grew gentle, more serious.

Santi started. Duchess hadn't uttered his given name in nearly a decade, and he wasn't yet accustomed to hearing it out loud, especially in the casino.

"C-Calysta?" He couldn't recall the last time he'd spoken her true name, though he'd never stopped referring to her as Calysta in his mind.

A genuine smile, the first Santi had seen on her since she was a teenager, broke out across Calysta's face. Her typically spiritless blue eyes sparkled.

"Santiago…" she repeated, then smiled again. "_Santi_, if it's not too much trouble, I'll just accompany you to the distillery."

Santi hesitated. She had disarmed him, calling him by name and flashing that beaming smile. But she had questions about his story, which made him apprehensive. He decided he'd better tread with caution, mindful not to underestimate her.

He nodded his head, which was topped with that ridiculous cap all Clubs were required to wear in court, and offered his arm with a tight grin. Calysta's glossy lips twitched into a smirk and she took his elbow.

"Shall we?"

-oOo-

"I knew she'd turn up. Why bother goin' lookin' for someone when they come so willingly?"

Alice's face was wet with tears and she had a busted bottom lip. Her arms were marked with finger-shaped bruises and she was suspended from the ceiling by a rope that lashed her delicate hands together. By the slight way she was swaying, Hatter could tell that her feet barely touched the ground, and he figured her ankles were strapped together as well.

"Alice!" Hatter called weakly from where he huddled in the corner.

"She can't hear you, but you can definitely hear her!" March sniggered. "You just stay right there, scaredy cat. Though I don't know why I bother, you're not goin' _nowhere_ with all that chesh in your system!" He whipped out his revolver, putting on a big show of loading it and spinning the chamber. "That's the best part. You're just as pathetic without the chains, and you won't do _nothin'_ about it. I'm gonna enjoy this!" He disappeared out the door, slamming the iron bolt into place, and reappeared on the other side of the mirror. Hatter saw him set the gun on a round table that was already cluttered with ominous metal devices.

Alice squirmed against her bindings at the sight of the madman.

"Well, hello to you too, doll." March circled the Oyster girl, ogling her up and down. She stared straight ahead, maintaining as much of a poker face as possible, given the circumstances. "If your pretty boyfriend had just told me where the Great Library is, we coulda avoided this whole mess." He resumed his predatory orbit.

"Hatter will never tell you anything!" The words gushed from her lips like a waterfall.

"Is that so?" March paused in front of the defenseless girl, slipping his hand into his blazer.

Cowering in the shadows, Hatter witnessed the unfolding events with increasing horror. He could no longer cling to the hope that Alice was safe and unharmed. His minimized logic told him to muster the fortitude to stop Mad March and save her from a terrible fate, but the tea in his veins was too strong. He had no tolerance, after all, and since Alice had arrived in his life he'd mainly experienced powerfully wonderful emotions. He attempted to draw those forth, but remained immobile, blubbering on the dank floor like the wimpy kid that gets jumped by the bullies in the schoolyard. Yet his eyes never strayed from Alice behind the glass.

There was the scraping metal _shunk_ of a switchblade, and Alice shivered visibly when March grazed her face with the blunt edge.

"Maybe _you_ know where the Great Library is." The blade flipped against her skin, eliciting a shaky hiss from her lips as the knife etched a fine trail of blood down her soft cheek.

Alice glared directly at the rabbit head. "I don't know a goddamn thing. If I did, I sure as hell wouldn't tell _you_."

"That so? Well, I have ways of making you talk."

"It won't do you any good," she retorted.

"That's funny, that's exactly what your boyfriend said before I blew his brains out," March lied.

Alice hitched on a despairing sob. "Well then you'd better kill me too, because I'm not telling you a fucking thing," she spat between clenched teeth.

"Heh, heh. Not yet, doll. I got different plans for _you_."

March lowered his knife and nicked Alice's creamy neck. Thick beads of dark blood slid down her chest to the top of her dress. March smeared the blood over her collarbone with his fingers, bringing has hand up to wipe it off on his ceramic buck teeth.

"What I wouldn't give to taste your sweet blood. I have your boyfriend to thank for that." He slashed furiously at her dress, and more blood oozed out from the slits he'd made, staining the sky-blue fabric.

Alice cried out at each slash, tears squeezing from her clenched eyes. "_Hatter_…" she whimpered.

Then she screamed. March was inscribing a long, deep line along her inner thigh, lifting her dress so he could cut all the way to her bikini line. He roughly grabbed her ass and ground her against him.

Alice began to weep, calling Hatter's name over and over.

"Don't worry, dollface, you'll be joining your dead boyfriend soon enough. But before we do that, let's see what we got under here…" March commenced cutting open her dress with the switchblade, starting at the bloodstained top.

Alice was sobbing uncontrollably, shrieking and thrashing helplessly.

March chuckled. "I _could_ dose you with lust, make you like it when I fuck you. Make you beg for more, ya bitch of a whore! But why spoil all my fun?" He sliced the dress further, revealing her heaving cleavage and cherry red bra. A huge purple bruise sprawled across her chest.

"_Nice_." The psychopath traced the fresh gashes on her skin with his fingertips before returning to sawing off the rest of her dress.

_Alice, I'll always make sure you're okay._

His Alice was crying for him, March was preparing to do the unspeakable, and intensely overwhelming love, protectiveness, and _hatred_ were seeping into Hatter's synapses. He zoned in on them with a vengeance, willing his mind to forget the Tweedle's teas, willing his body to stand on shaky legs.

_Trust me._

Rallying his entire being with a roar, Hatter launched his right fist at the glass and plunged headfirst through the shattering mirror.

March was caught off guard, having been so intent on Alice and so unconcerned with the drugged Hatter. By the time he turned to face the freed man, blade at the ready, Hatter had sprung to his feet and seized the revolver off the table.

March lunged at the weakened man before he could cock the gun, but Hatter was fueled by something elemental. Something fierce.

With a strangled cry, he met March's abdomen with his sledgehammer fist. The Queen's assassin flew backwards and slammed against the rocky wall, sliding down until he lay on the stone ground, clutching his stomach and groaning. An electronic groan of pain…_now there's somethin' ya don't hear every day._

Without batting an eyelash, Hatter cocked the revolver and aimed the barrel directly at March's groin, stalking towards his slumped form on the floor.

_BANG!_

"That's for Bonnie."

_Click._

_BANG!_

"That's for Alice."

_Click._

_BANG!_

"'N'that's for all th'rest."

Hatter's accent was thickened in his primal state, his words running together and his voice gravelly and desperate. He towered over the screaming man.

Electronic screams. Music to Hatter's ears. But silence would be better.

"Why's a raven like a writin' desk?"

March responded with an unearthly howl reminiscent of an Oyster dialup modem. He was writhing on the floor in agony.

"G'bye, Marchie, ol' buddy."

One more cock of the revolver. One more report of gunfire.

_Silence_.

Hatter's ears rang in the engulfing hush while he observed the dark blood soaking through March's white turtleneck and black blazer. He tucked the revolver into his waistband and bent down, flicking the lapel open and reaching inside for Bonnie's comb, sliding it into his front trouser pocket. He raised his foot and stomped on the ceramic rabbit head, smashing it to bits, then nudged the dead man aside with his toe, spitting bitterly on the ground.

The ringing in his ears faded and was replaced with Alice's hitched breathing behind him. He spun to face her, veins still pulsing with adrenaline. He stooped for March's switchblade and stretched up to cut the ropes suspending a shell-shocked and shuddering Alice.

"_Hatter!_" The instant her hands were free, Alice threw her arms around her champion, mingling the blood from her wounds with his. "I thought you were dead!" she sobbed.

But she sent her weight too far forward in her enthusiasm, and his rush of adrenaline was ebbing, superseded by the heavy doses of tea in his system. Hatter winced and staggered, pulling Alice, whose feet were still bound, down with him.

With a heavy thud and a strained groan, they collapsed ungracefully in a mess of arms and legs on the stony floor. Hatter snarled in pain.

"Hatter?" Alice untangled herself to kneel beside him, gingerly touching his grimacing face. "Oh my god…"

"Oh, it's nothin', just a few cuts 'n' bruises. I'm fine," Hatter cracked hoarsely.

"We need to get you medical attention!" Alice's eyes boggled at the visible bone on his wrists.

Hatter was wheezing. "Not yet…first…I need some tea. Peace…I need peace, comfort, _anythin'_…_please_ Alice."

Alice halted midway through untying her ankles. "What?"

"Tweedles…injected me…horror…cowardice…I feel helpless." He pleaded breathlessly. "Need somethin'…counteract…"

Alice forgot her qualms about using Oyster tea in the face of Hatter's plight. She snatched the switchblade, snapping it shut and stuffing it in her small dress pocket. "If that's what you need, that's what we'll get. C'mon, I'm taking you to the central distillery." She removed the rest of the rope from her ankles and heaved Hatter to his feet, supporting his weight on her petite shoulders.

Hatter didn't bother asking how she knew where the distillery was. He just concentrated on putting one foot in front of the other, leaning on the Alice of Legend. _His_ Alice.

_Guess our luck's finally changin'._

~TBC~

* * *

**A/N:** Okay, at least I left you guys with a little hope this time, right? Please let me know what you think, you totally feed my muse and make me want to write something you'll want to read! Calysta is a Greek name that means "most beautiful" or something along those lines. Also, I have zero graphics skills, but there are some basic visual aids for the Queen's flask and the Diocles constellation in my livejournal scrapbook. I made them with Microsoft Word autoshapes, but they get the point across! Thanks for reading =D


	8. Luck's finally changin'

**Disclaimer:** I don't own anything. I just play around and take liberties! Based off SyFy's _Alice_ (2009).

**Warnings: **Contains language and violence.

**A/N:** Hope you all approve of this chap! These chapters get longer and longer. Maybe I should be cutting them in half, but whatever. This fic has a mind of its own. I know I may have told one or two of you that I would have this chapter up by last weekend…I'm sorry! I really should know better than to make any time-related promises ;D

_Gratuitous side note:_ I was watching the scene where the Queen sentences Jack with closed captioning on so I could get the spelling of her full name. I always thought she was sending Jack to the "Eye Room," but according to the CC she's saying "Eyeron," so that's what I'm going to call it. Derp.

* * *

"What's _he_ doin'?" peeped the elderly woman.

"Haven't the foggiest," replied her husband.

Owl leaned over the banister, peering through her cat-eye spectacles at the scene playing out below. A doddering old man, dressed up like an ancient knight, was hunched in the middle of the Great Library, rubbing circles on his temples and muttering incoherently. His eyelids abruptly popped open and he sucked in a sharp breath. Darting his head about like a twitchy bird, he clunked among the cluttered stacks of books in his heavy armor. One hand remained glued to his temple while the other extended blindly in front of him as though the library were pitch-black. Without warning, he jerked up to his full height, standing at attention in front of a massive pile of books. He crashed to his knees, metal clanging against metal, and began filtering through the stack, tossing books over his shoulders left and right.

"Ah!" The old man gingerly picked up a weathered leather-bound tome, skimming his fingers reverently over the demonic face and mysterious symbols etched on the cover. "The Blessed Fates have guided me to it!" He clutched the volume to his chest, rambling on about Fates, destiny, quests, and Black Arts.

Owl thought she overheard him mumble something about the Alice of Legend.

"Crazy ol' coot!"

-oOo-

"Honestly, the Queen gets barmier each day!"

Santi chuckled at Calysta's accounts of the Queen's ludicrous behavior as they strolled down the corridor, arm in arm. He'd always enjoyed her way of telling stories, and it was refreshing to learn that at least some part of her hadn't changed.

She removed her hand from his elbow and placed her palms on his chest. He glanced down at her, puzzled, but her expression was indecipherable. In a flash, she shoved him against the wall, whipping a pocket pistol from her knee-high boot and pressing it to his windpipe.

"Your little getaway story's bollocks. You may have everybody else fooled, but I _know_ you, Santi_ago_." Calysta got right up in his face, practically bumping noses. "Did you honestly believe I wouldn't see right through you?"

Santi gulped audibly, his Adam's apple shifting beneath the gunmetal. "I'm flattered, Duchess, truly." He did his best to keep his voice airy. "I didn't realize you paid _me_ any mind. After all," he added bitterly, "I merely play _fetch_ for her majesty. Your _fiancé_ –"

"My fiancé _what?_" she spat. "Is untruthful? Unfaithful? Has never cared a jabberwock's claw about me?"

Santi held his breath, acutely aware of the increased pressure of the gun barrel. He wasn't entirely sure where she was going with this.

"I want in."

He gawked at her. He didn't know what he'd expected her to say, but _that_ was definitely not on his list of possibilities. "What?"

"You heard me. I want in." Calysta backed off, tucking her pistol discreetly into her white boot.

Santi remained silent, massaging his throat.

"If you know what's good for you," she warned, "you'll comply. And you'll help me rescue Jack." Calysta squared her shoulders. "When Mad March returned from the raid, proclaiming Jack a traitor, the Queen had him thrown in the Eyeron," her voice wavered, "and sentenced him to death. He is to be executed tomorrow at dawn."

"And it's up to you to come to the aid of the cheating liar?"

"He may have his faults, but he certainly doesn't deserve to _die_. We're all victims of the Queen's rule." She reached behind her head and wound her blonde curls into a messy knot. "Now then, what's the plan?"

-oOo-

The distillery was deserted. Santi surveyed the lab, perplexed. "How'd you get rid of everyone already?"

"Oh, that was simple." Hamilton was proceeding from still to still, flipping the spouts open and leaving them to empty their contents to the ground. The tea pooled up no more than a few centimeters, the flooding was kept to a minimum thanks to the drains dotting the floor. "All I had to do was instruct the workers to fill a thermos with whatever they wanted and take the rest of the day off. We don't have any new Oysters anyway, and this thing pretty much runs itself." The chief engineer sounded disgusted with his own invention. "What's _she_ doing here?" he demanded, pointing a finger at Calysta without looking at her.

"No cause for alarm, we can trust her."

Hamilton eyed the Duchess of Diamonds suspiciously. "I'd feel better if we took some precautions."

Santi nodded reassuringly at her. "She's on our side, Hamilton. You have my word."

The man seemed unconvinced. He folded his arms across his chest.

"Mr. Hamilton," purred Calysta, "You _know_ I have no fondness for the Queen. And now she's sentenced my fiancé, her own _son_, to _death_. I need your assistance so I can save him from such an unjust and terrible fate. Surely you understand?"

Hamilton gave Calysta a searching look, but that must have been the right thing for her to say, because he sighed, letting his arms fall to his sides and glancing in Santi's direction. "Well? Do you have them?"

Santi pulled two bulky plastic objects from the onyx folds of his robes. A pair of retro Oyster walkie-talkies. The set was one of the first treasures he'd acquired from his Great Library contact, long ago, in easier days before he'd even become a court apprentice. He'd traded the junkie a bottle of rapture for them - a high price; the Queen had outlawed personal communication devices. One radio was decorated with a faded Club sticker, the other a Diamond.

Calysta squeaked in surprise. "I can't believe you still have those!"

Santi grinned sheepishly at her. "I can't seem to get rid of anything that reminds me of you." His smile waned just as quickly as it had appeared, embarrassed by his admission.

Calysta's cheeks tinged pink.

Santi coughed. "Channel three?" He passed a radio to Hamilton.

The two men adjusted their dials.

"Testing: one, two. This is Snap Dragon, over."

"Read you loud and clear, Snap Dragon. This is Rocking Horse. Over and out!"

"Over and out!"

Calysta snorted. Hamilton and Santi turned to catch her eyes wide with merriment, palm clapped over her mouth and face red in an attempt to stifle another outburst. She didn't hold out long, however, and tinkling laughter spilled from her lips.

The men couldn't help laughing at themselves, either. And they didn't stop. The laughter wasn't tea-induced, and it felt…_good._ Wholesome. Nobody wanted it to end, but soon enough their mirth died down into sparse chuckles.

"Okay," began a sobered Hamilton. "I'll stay down here and continue draining the stills. Alice and this Hatter fellow should be arriving shortly. Santi, Duchess, head up to the outer decks. Keep your eyes peeled for any sign of Charlie and Caterpillar. We can't initiate phase two until they're in range. When you get a visual, radio in, and we'll go from there. If they don't show, or if Alice never gets here, then…" he gestured vaguely with his hands. "I guess we'll have to move into contingency mode. But let's hope it doesn't come to that."

"Ten-four!" Santi yelled into his walkie-talkie. He grabbed Calysta by the elbow, and they scurried out of the lab, laughing giddily.

-oOo-

"Daddy! Please help him!"

Hatter all but crumpled to the floor, Alice slowing his descent by lowering herself with him. She sat cross-legged with her back against the wall, settling his head in her lap.

"Dear god, what happened to the boy?"

"I think he was injected with the Tweedles' Oyster tea. We have to give him some of the stuff up here to neutralize all the crap in his system." Her voice was strained, fighting back tears. She gave no thought to her own cuts and bruises, courtesy of Mad March. Alice had tunnel vision for Hatter.

"He looks like he needs medical attention, first and foremost!" Hamilton indicated Hatter's more apparent injuries.

"Daddy, _please!_ There's no way to get him proper treatment now! What he _needs_ is peace of mind!"

They both peered down at the wheezing Hatter. Mouth agape, his face glistened with sweat, tears, and blood. His wildly hatless hair was caked with cinnamon, of all things, and more blood. Blood was everywhere, staining his tattered clothes, but what frightened Alice the most was his eyes. His typically warm, sharp eyes were glazed and dull, staring blankly at the ceiling. She felt sick to her stomach.

"Shit, Alice," Hamilton cringed. "I've already drained all the stills…"

Alice hadn't even noticed that she was sitting on wet ground. A lone droplet leaked from the spout of one of the nearby stills. Evidently her father had set each to the open position and simply allowed the tea to spill onto the floor. There was barely any left, it had all but vanished down one of at least twenty gutters indented in the ground throughout the lab. Frantically, Alice tried to scoop some up, wetting Hatter's lips. But there wasn't enough. Not nearly enough. The floodgates opened, and she broke into tears, ducking her head to place damp kisses on his forehead. She stroked his face and whispered tender words against his clammy skin.

"Just stay with me, Hatter. Stay with me."

-oOo-

Santi and Calysta stood sentry on the abandoned terrace, scanning the horizon for any signs of the Resistance. Santi squinted, hands shielding his eyes from the glare of the midday sun.

"Storm's brewing," Calysta breathed.

He followed her gaze. Indeed, colossal thunderheads loomed in the distance over the gently rising slopes. He counted to fifteen between a flash of lightning and the subsequent claps of thunder.

"Is that them?"

Santi shrugged, brow furrowed. "It has to be." He shook his head; things really _were_ going too smoothly. "We'll wait until they're a bit closer before we –" He was interrupted by the crackling of a voice muffled by the layers of his robes.

"Rocking Horse to Snap Dragon, come in Snap Dragon!"

Santi fumbled to uncover the walkie-talkie from his cloak.

"Rocking Horse to Snap Dragon, do you read me?"

"Snap Dragon to Rocking Horse, I read you loud and clear!"

Calysta rolled her eyes.

"The eggs are in the nest. Repeat. The eggs are in the nest. Over."

"Copy that."

"What's your status?"

"Alone on the upper eastern deck. And," Santi squinted again at the ominous storm blowing rapidly in their direction. "The Unicorn is landing. Over."

"How far?"

"Approximately four to five kilometers."

"You're alone?"

"Affirmative."

"Got any chesh on you?"

"Plenty. Why?"

"Just get down here straight away, we require immediate assistance. Over and out."

"Ten-four, over and out."

Another resounding boom, nearer this time. As a bygone habit, Santi snatched Calysta by her dainty, bejeweled hand, tugging her behind him.

"Let's go."

-oOo-

_" '__Capable of devastatin' destruction, the Hand of Diocles was most powerful when fueled by selfless acts. When he wielded his Fate-given weapon in protection of others, it grew permanently stronger.' "_

_"__Go on, I'm listenin'."_

_" '__He performed scores of great feats,' " the young girl continued animatedly, " 'but Diocles is most famous for crumblin' an entire mountain to save his lady love. At first, his strikes did nothin' to free her from the enchanted chains that tethered her to the rock face. In tears, they shared true love's first kiss, bittersweet in their despair. Diocles was filled with elevated strength, and once more he slammed his fist into the rock. The impact rumbled through the whole mountain, pulverizin' it to a pile of dust and liberatin' his love. His punch was unstoppable after that.' "_

_The girl turned the dog-eared page. "It says here that the Hand of Diocles was passed down to all males in his bloodline." She shifted to face her brother, a mischievous twinkle in her chocolate eyes._

_"__What?" the teenage boy peeked out from under the brim of his hunter green derby, his countenance the picture of innocence._

_Bonnie snickered. Hatter smirked and jabbed her playfully with his right fist. "Think I could take down a mountain, do ya?"_

_The siblings erupted into goofy giggles. Several empty tea carafes vibrated and danced as they slapped their hands on the surface of the table._

_"__Maybe," Bonnie panted between giggles. "But Diocles had one true lady love, not one hundred one-night stands!"_

_"__Oi!"_

_"__Gotta find you a proper girlfriend, first. And a nice big bottle of love!"_

_"__Bonnet, I'm touched! Can that be my unbirthday present?"_

_Brother and sister burst into peals of laughter._

-oOo-

"How the hell did you get a hold of the Queen's flask?" Hamilton sounded flabbergasted.

"She actually gave it to me," Santi replied. "Asked me to 'surprise'," he made quotation marks with his fingers, "her with some new cocktails! She's gone absolutely nuts. Just last week she ordered my execution for offering to fill it for her! Winston overruled her, of course."

"Of course!"

Alice was busy tipping the pearly white cocktail from the Queen's crystal heart a little bit at a time into Hatter's mouth. According to Santi, this drink would be the most effective, as the recipe yielded something along the lines of solace and comfort. _Chicken Noodle Soup for the Tortured Soul_, Alice quipped darkly to herself. Once that was gone, she moved on to the emerald green liquid, which was essentially tranquility and would help clear his mind. As a backup to the Queen's superior cocktails, Santi and Calysta handed over what flasks they had on them.

Reclining against the wall, Alice had Hatter's back propped up against her torso, his head resting on her shoulder, and her arms enfolding his body. Her face was angled so she could see what she was doing, and she'd pour a sip of tea into his mouth, close his jaw, tilt his chin, and stroke his throat to urge him to swallow. Pour, close, tilt, stroke. Pour, close, tilt, stroke. Pour, close, tilt, stroke…

Calysta hovered uncertainly, observing the careful way in which Alice was attending to Hatter. She parted her glossy lips as if to speak.

Suddenly, the back door to the distillery was kicked open by an obese man wearing the same mustard-yellow lab coat as Alice's father. The man was balding and sported a bushy gray mustache that gave him the rather comical appearance of a walrus, and he was armed with a double-barreled shotgun. Everyone threw his or her hands in the air, with the exception of Hatter, who remained slumped against Alice.

"Robert!" bellowed the walrus man. "Get over here. _Now_. You need…_adjusting_."

Hamilton spat. "Fuck you."

"Don't fuck with me!" Walrus aimed the gun at Alice. "Get over here, or watch your sweet baby girl get blown away."

Alice set her jaw, determined not to display any signs of fear. Her heart pounded rapidly against Hatter's weight.

"Easy, now!" Her father crept closer to Walrus, hands over his head. "Just…point that thing at me, alright?"

"By all means!" Walrus trained the double barrel on Hamilton.

_BOOM!_

Alice jolted at the deafening crack of the gunshot. Walrus staggered backwards, blood oozing from a wound in his immense belly. One more report of gunfire, and another, and Walrus lay dead on the damp floor, his blood trickling down the drains as the tea had done.

Alice couldn't hear a damn thing beyond the high-pitched ringing in both ears. It took her a second to become aware that her father, Santi, and Calysta were all gaping down towards her, slack jawed.

She felt motion against her chest and lowered her gaze to glimpse Hatter dropping his arms to his lap, March's revolver in hand. He groaned.

"Hatter!" Alice clutched at him from behind, rocking him back and forth.

"Good gods, woman, let a man breathe!"

Alice laughed through her tears, relieved. _This_ was more like the Hatter she knew.

With astonishing nimbleness given his physical condition, Hatter got to his feet. He wobbled unsteadily, and Alice was instantly at his side, trying to support him.

"Hang on." He leaned against the wall, wincing, working clumsily at unbuttoning his blood-encrusted shirt. He wasn't doing the best job.

"What the hell are you doing?" Alice grabbed at his hands to stop him from fumbling with the small buttons.

"Givin' you my shirt," Hatter stated matter-of-factly. "Can't have you runnin' around like _that_, now can we?"

Alice glanced down at her shredded dress, bra and belly button, painted with blood, bare to the world now that she was no longer sitting with Hatter cradled in her lap. She'd completely forgotten about the state of her clothing in her concern for Hatter, and up to this point no one else, not even her father, had indicated whether or not they'd taken notice. "Oh…" she blushed, gathering the torn blue fabric to cover herself.

"Young man, if I may," Hamilton stepped in. "Alice can wear one of the extra lab coats, there's a rack of them in the break room. Spare your energy, it doesn't look like that shirt will peel off easily. Or painlessly."

Hatter growled his approval. Hamilton rushed to fetch a lab coat for his daughter.

Hatter looked around, taking in the distillery, the wet floor, the Ten of Clubs, and the Duchess of Diamonds.

"So, what've I missed?"

-oOo-

Peering through the heart-shaped window, Santi could make out Charlie and Caterpillar cresting a ridge under cover of the thunderheads. The two men were parading on their steeds at the forefront of an army of…_skeletons?_ Upon closer inspection, Santi could see that the human skeletons were clad in ancient knight armor, and they appeared to be quite..._undead_. He shuddered. They were marching of their own accord, armed to the teeth. Some rode atop skeleton horses. Others pushed decrepit canons and catapults. There were thousands of them, cascading over the hill beneath the furious charcoal clouds.

Charlie was riding Arthur, chest puffed out, holding a leather-bound book aloft.

Santi squinted his eyes.

"The Necronomicon?" he murmured in awe. "The batty old geezer actually found it! I figured he was full of shit!"

"Necro-_who?_"

"Oh, c'mon Calysta! Don't tell me you've forgotten _Army of Darkness_! That was your favorite, we watched it like once a week!"

There was a sly smirk on Calysta's face. " 'Gimme some sugar, baby!' " she quoted teasingly, reaching up to tweak his nose.

She _did_ remember! " 'Shop smart. Shop S-Mart!' " Santi hoped to hear more of her tinkling laughter, and he got it. He realized he'd missed it.

They stumbled into the wall from the rolling thunder reverberating through the building. The storm clouds were almost upon them, raging with lightning.

"Okay, Calysta," Santi placed his hands on her shoulders. "I'll head down to security and tell them that the Queen has commanded they send every possible resource to defend the perimeter. You go to the Eyeron. Stay out of sight. Once the Spades have been called away, I'll initiate a blackout in that wing. It won't last more than a few minutes, so you'll have to move quickly to get Jack out before the backup system kicks in and the locks are reactivated."

Calysta nodded mutely.

"I'll keep watch on the Eyeron monitors to make sure that when the cameras turn back on, you and Jack have made it out safely."

Santi gently raised her chin so he could look into her eyes. "You're _sure_ you want to do this?"

"Yes," she whispered breathlessly.

"Once you're in the clear, I'll go deal with the Queen. You get the hell out of the casino and hightail it to the forest. Got it?" He paused to reflexively brush a strand of loose hair away from her face. "Be careful, Caly."

"Is this the part where you kiss me?"

-oOo-

"Your majesty!" Santi jogged into the Queen's private chamber. The drapes to her balcony were flung open, and she was standing with her elbows propped on the balustrade, watching the impending storm and sipping a vial of apricot colored liquid. The cavalry of skeleton knights had partially encircled the casino less than a kilometer away. Further out, Santi could see the infantry rigging up the ancient artillery.

"Number Ten! Where on earth have you been, you nitwit? I've resorted to drinking the smelly old teas from my personal stores. Now," she rubbed her palms together, "what splendid new treats have you brought for me?"

Santi chuckled. "Mistress Mary, quite contrary," he rhymed, joining her on the terrace.

"What are you on about? Where's my heart?"

"Oh, you mean _this_ heart?" Santi conjured up the Queen's flask from his robes. It was nearly empty, save one burgundy-filled cavity.

"What are you doing? Give it here!"

Santi didn't respond, quietly popping the ruby cap and dumping out the contents over the balustrade.

"Stop that at once!"

Santi jiggled the crystal, making sure to get out every last drop. He removed his Club hat, plunking the flask into it and chucking them both over the ledge to the grass below.

The Queen was outraged. "How _dare_ you, you insolent Club! Off with his head!"

Santi chortled. "We're alone, Mistress Mary. No one is listening."

"We'll see about that!" She waddled past him into her chamber, shouting at the top of her lungs for her subjects.

Behind her, Santi withdrew Walrus's shotgun from where he'd strapped it to his back under his cloak. He brought the stock to his shoulder and fired, jerking from the force of the recoil. The scattershot hit the Queen's tea cabinet, shattering dozens of bottles.

The Queen froze, witnessing the tea slosh and spill as the cabinet toppled over. She clenched her plump fingers, revolving slowly to face Santi, who had the shotgun poised and ready.

Just then, the doors burst wide open.

"My darling! We're under –" The King halted, taking in the sight of Santi aiming a shotgun at his wife. "What's all this, then?"

"Winston, thank heavens you're here! Arrest him! Send him to the dungeons! And fetch me some more tea!"

"Er, crumpet, we have more pressing matters on our hands. We're being attacked by, well, what seems to be…a demon army of...undead knights…of sorts. And they practically have us surrounded!" He gestured out the balcony to the darkening sky. "And those clouds look rather unfriendly, indeed."

Queen Mary scarcely batted an eyelash, glaring at her husband with scorn.

"Our soldiers have been dispatched. You need to evacuate, immediately. I have the Imperial Scarab waiting."

While Winston was babbling, Santi took the opportunity to position himself between the royal couple and the entrance. He ostentatiously pumped the shotgun and cleared his throat.

The King jumped back, arms in the air.

" 'Alright you primitive screw-heads, listen up! You see this? _This_...is my _boomstick!_' " Santi used to fantasize about being Ash Williams, and he was thoroughly enjoying himself. " 'This sweet baby's got a walnut stock, cobalt blue steel, and a hair trigger. That's right. Shop smart. Shop S-Mart. _You got that?_' "

"What in blazes are you on about?"

"Come along, both of you" ordered Santi, waving the barrel towards the double doors. "You're not getting on the Imperial Scarab. You're coming with me."

-oOo-

Alice and Hatter stumbled out of the casino, clinging to one another in the midst of the pandemonium. Oysters and Suits were streaming from all exits, racing for the trees and away from the skeleton army and sinister clouds. Hamilton was directing the discombobulated Oysters as they poured out. He'd powered down the device that locked the Oysters in place when Santi had radioed to inform him that all Spades had been called away. Once the Oysters were free to move, Hamilton switched on the universal PA, calmly explaining that the casino was under attack and urging all Suits to evacuate to the woods. He added that the Queen had commanded that the Suits working in the harvest rooms must take the precious Oysters with them, and that anyone caught disobeying her decree would lose his or her head.

The dark sky was menacing and thunder rocked through Alice and Hatter's entwined bodies. They could see the threatening thunderheads looming in the distance and the undead knights in the heat of battle with the Queen's soldiers. They needed to get undercover of the trees, and quick.

Hamilton's walkie-talkie crackled with static. "Snap Dragon to Rocking Horse. Come in Rocking Horse."

"This is Rocking Horse," Hamilton panted, running with the masses towards the forest and away from the imminent danger.

"The rabbit is in the snare. I repeat, the rabbit is in the snare. Over."

"Copy that."

"Any sign of Calysta?"

"Not yet. It's utter chaos out here. I'll keep you posted. Hurry so we can initiate phase three. Over and out."

"Ten-four, over and out."

-oOo-

"Steady men, steady!" Charlie trumpeted, reigning in Arthur and pulling back on his longbow.

"_Fire!_"

Countless arrows sprang into the sky. They would've blocked out the sun if the storm clouds hadn't already done so. Spades were toppling off their airborne flamingos, leaving the pink vehicles to spiral out of control and crash into the cavalry. The bones were temporarily scattered, but the knights and horses hastily reassembled themselves, ready for the next onslaught.

"You can't kill something that's already dead!" taunted Caterpillar, dashing into the fray on his dappled gray stallion.

Charlie flitted among the reconstructing skeletons as they popped skulls and femurs back into place. "Keep your heads, men! Keep your heads!"

The cavalry encroached on the Happy Hearts casino, unhindered by the waves of Queen's forces. Behind them, the infantry let loose a barrage of hefty projectiles, taking out clusters of Suits marching towards them on land.

_Ping!_

A bullet ricocheted off Charlie's white shin guard. Eyes ablaze, the old man charged forward, beckoning the troops. He reached for his spear and hurled it at the Ace that had shot him, impaling him through the stomach. "Take that, you scallywag!"

The invincible army swarmed the Queen's soldiers, driving them back. The infantry closed in behind the cavalry, within firing range of the casino.

"Fire at will!"

_KAPOW!_

The dissonance of hundreds of cannonballs and boulders catapulting towards the casino resounded over the battlefield. Hitting their mark, they bounced off the edifice like rubber balls without making so much as a dent, squashing the occasional Spade. The knights didn't cease fire, but they continued to achieve the same results.

"Thetan's Ghost! An enchanted barrier!" Charlie whirled Arthur, galloping back to the percolating thunderheads. "Retreat!" he hollered, and the army of undead knights withdrew from the Suits as one unit, much like the tide before a tsunami.

"Illustrious clouds of Wonderland!" The white knight pranced beneath the flashing clouds. "The time is nigh! Lend us your might!"

The black cumulonimbus clouds rumbled in response, cruising towards the casino.

Upon seeing the advancing storm, the remaining Spades turned tail and fled, but were nowhere near fast enough to outrun the squall.

King Triton emerged with his harem of mermaids, angrily launching bolts of white lightning from his trident and striking down the Queen's men. The mermaids dumped torrential buckets of rain, sweeping the Suits off their feet. Those that managed to keep their footing in the downpour soon joined their fallen comrades, slipping and sliding in the slick mud in a frenzy, skittering to avoid Triton's electrifying assault. The Suits mounted on flying flamingos were dispatched easily in the deluge.

"To the usurper's fortress!" roared Charlie.

The clouds took on the form of a herd of horses, manes flowing as they stampeded through the bleak sky towards the Happy Hearts casino, where they unleashed a tempest of wind, rain, hail, and lightning.

But to no avail.

Innumerable Spades were flung through the air to the far reaches of Wonderland, but the fury of the typhoon had as little impact on the concrete structure as the cannonballs.

"It must be a _very_ Old magic," mused Charlie, "to prevail over the mighty clouds..." He ducked his wrinkled hand into a saddlebag, retrieving the Necronomicon. "Let's see..." The white knight thumbed through the yellowed pages, halting abruptly on an illustration of a man pounding his fist into a crumbling mountain, liplocked with a fair maiden in chains. He glided his fingers over the printed words, eyes darting side to side and lips moving soundlessly. "Ah-_ha!_" He sat up proudly, a crooked grin spreading across his face and his curled beard quivering.

Charlie dug his heels into Arthur's flanks, heading off to the casino to try his hand at demolishing the building with his fist. His path was blocked by bolts of lightning, and Arthur reared. A smaller cloud had materialized over Charlie, away from the thunderheads that were pulverizing the Queen's army.

"You are not of the proper bloodline, noble knight." The puffs and shadows molded into King Triton's bearded face.

"Not of the proper bloodline?" Charlie bristled. "How _dare_ you insult me! My Nan used to say to me –"

"Sir Charles, we cannot linger, so I will make this brief. I regret to inform you that your Nan was misguided," boomed Triton. "You do not wield the Hand of Diocles."

Charlie sat up taller, lifting his chin, determined not to reveal his disappointment. He knew in his heart that King Triton could not be mistaken. He _was_ Old magic. "...But... But then we are lost! We must destroy the casino, it is a symbol of the usurper's oppression!"

"Fear not, brave knight. There is one among you that carries the mystical bloodline."

"_Who?_" Charlie was curious despite his disillusionment. "We must track him down at once!"

"The Hatter boy." There was a tinge of disgust in Triton's thundering voice.

"The Harbinger?"

"The _Hatter_. The boy is endowed with the Fated gift. He is near, under the tree canopy on the other side of the casino. We clouds will continue to wipe out the Queen's forces." Triton's face melted back into abstract puffs, rumbling one last time, "Find the Hatter," before merging with the thunderheads.

-oOo-

"What are they doing to all my pretty Spades? Unhand me this instant!" The Queen thrashed fruitlessly against her bindings.

"Now, my pet, don't fuss. Not much we can do about our present situation, now is there?" reasoned her husband.

"He's right, y'know! Just stay as you are, or we can make things much, _much_ worse for the both of you!" Owl kept her sawed-off shotgun trained on the pair of royals lashed to a giant tree at the edge of the forest.

The Resistance fighters had positioned the Queen so she was forced to witness the annihilation of her beloved troops and casino. The thunderheads stretched across the expanse of the sky, and being at the outskirts of the trees, Mary Heart was decidedly drenched and shivering from the violent storm. On top of that, she hadn't had a dose of tea since Santi had taken her hostage, and she was quite beside herself.

Winston was tied to the other side of the tree, facing away from the action and not nearly as affected by the rain and hail as his wife. He stood calmly, observing the bustle of Resistance fighters deeper in the forest while Owl and Duck kept guard over their prisoners.

Hatter and Alice were huddled against a tree trunk, Alice gingerly wrapping his open wounds with gauze to protect them from the elements.

"We'll fix you up properly when we have more supplies, but this will have to do for now. You're gonna be just fine." A tight smile imposed its way onto Alice's lips, but she avoided eye contact.

Hatter could tell she was striving to keep her tone light, but he could hear the desperate worry hidden in her words. He took hold of the delicate hand that had just secured the last bandage around his bare-boned wrist. Her blue eyes flickered to meet his as he brought her fingers to his lips.

"Thank you, Alice," Hatter said simply, his voice low and rough. He wanted to ease her mind. He could see her breathing quicken when he lowered her hand to place it over his heart, covering it with his own. His heart thumped against her palm. "See? Heart's still beatin'. I'll be fine."

Hatter was somewhat confused when Alice started sobbing; he was unaccustomed to Oysters and their emotional states. But when she lunged forward and buried her face in his chest, he decided it must not be such a bad sign. He enfolded her trembling body in his arms, stroking her back and whispering soothing words into her hair. The Queen's cocktails were still in his system, so he felt pretty damn good, considering; his painful injuries were reduced to a dull ache. But he sensed something else stirring deep inside that he knew was not an effect of the tea, and he found himself laughing and crying with the beautiful Oyster safe in his arms. He took stock of the moment, mind sharp and clear from the cocktails Alice had fed him, and committed these feelings and the sensation of Alice shaking in his arms to memory. This would never leave him. It couldn't.

He took a second to survey the hustle of activity around him. Resistance members, Suits, and Oysters milled around anxiously, watching the skirmish in the distance and the storm making short work of the Queen's army. Santi, Calysta, Hamilton, Caterpillar, and a group of Resistance volunteers had disappeared down a secret entrance in the forest that led to the underground passages. This was the third phase of their plan: to rescue the tortured souls from the Tweedles' dungeons. He'd seen a few of the volunteers surface with battered, emaciated Oysters, but as of yet there was no sign of the core group he'd been introduced to so hastily. He hoped everything was going smoothly down there.

"_Harbinger!_"

"Charlie?" Hatter darted his gaze towards the source of the familiar voice.

"Harbinger!"

There was Charlie, galloping feverishly into the woods on Arthur. He slowed to a canter and approached them beneath the canopy of trees. Alice had risen, wiping her eyes and reaching down to help Hatter to his feet.

"Harbinger," the old man wheezed, reigning Arthur to a halt and attempting to catch his breath.

"Charlie, what's the matter?" Hatter had heard the urgency in the white knight's tone, which made him rather uneasy.

"Harbinger," rasped Charlie, "you must come along with me. You are the only being in all of Wonderland that can destroy the Hearts' casino."

_Mad as a box of frogs._ "Whaddaya mean? What about all your fancy cannons and those raging thunderheads?" Hatter indicated the flashing sky.

"All for naught," bemoaned Charlie. "The Hearts have pilfered an ancient magic! An enchanted barrier shields the casino from the wrath of the clouds themselves! And you posses the single weapon that can trounce the enchantment." The old man waved the Necronomicon at Hatter.

_Yep, definitely mad as a box of frogs._ Hatter glanced sideways at Alice with a slight twitch of the head as if to say, "Get a load of this guy."

"Charlie, you're not making a lick of sense," Alice pointed out.

The white knight ruffled, squaring his metal-clad shoulders. Flipping open the leather-bound book, he shoved the open volume in Hatter's hands and emphatically placed his finger on an image of a man punching a mountain.

Hatter started. "The Hand of Diocles?" he murmured. _It can't be..._ He chewed on the inside of his cheek, lost in thought.

Alice looked back and forth between the two men, eyebrows knitted together. "Hand of Diocles? Hatter?"

Hatter slammed the book shut, jaw set and eyes intense. "Fine, I'll give it a go," he declared resolutely. He made to follow Charlie, who had already begun to trot out of the forest on Arthur.

Alice spoke up, snagging him by the elbow. "I'm coming with you."

"No, Alice, it's too dangerous. Stay here where it's safe," he glanced around at the mess of Oysters and Wonderlanders, then shot a lopsided smile her way. "Safe-ish," he amended.

Alice rolled her eyes. "Whatever. I'm not letting you out of my sight. And you know you can't stop me! So let's cut this little song and dance and get going, shall we?"

Hatter shook his head, grinning from ear to ear. "Stubborn Oyster."

Alice returned his smile, and hand in hand, they ran after Charlie towards the casino.

-oOo-

_Fuckin' hell._ Hatter rammed his right fist into the concrete for the umpteenth time, praying for a different outcome. The entire building rumbled, but much to his dismay, that was the extent of it. He wrung his hand, shredded from the repeated impacts, in an attempt to diminish the biting sting and the returning throb in his wrist.

Alice stood not arm's length from him, tensed for action. They'd been lucky so far. There were hardly any Spades this side of the casino, and King Triton and his mermaids were taking care of any that strayed too close. The skeleton army had ceased fire, resorting to mêlée combat only.

Charlie patrolled nearby on horseback.

"Harbinger! You must take what is yours! Fulfill your destiny!" the white knight shouted.

"Eh?"

"The legend, Harbinger! True love's first kiss!"

"True love's first...?"

_"__Think I could take down a mountain, do ya?"_

_"__Gotta find you a proper girlfriend, first!"_

Hatter drank in the sight of a rain-soaked Alice, impossibly sexy in an oversized yellow lab coat. Strands of dark hair clung to her face, and she glistened as she sent a soft half smile his way. She couldn't have misunderstood Charlie's words.

_What the bloody hell are ya waitin' for?_

Hatter clasped Alice's hand, yanking her to him and wrapping his arms around her tiny waist. Without giving her a chance to think, he sealed her lips with his in a searing kiss, palms resting lightly on the small of her back. Icy rain pelted down on the lovers, but Hatter hardly noticed, intense heat radiating from within. Every inch of his skin tingled. He'd wanted to try this the moment he'd first seen her dripping in that very wet dress. _That, and a whole lot of other things._ He'd wanted it again, for deeper reasons, when he saw her lying in the grass, drowning in Charlie's nightshirt under the warm glow of sunset. And now he was kissing her, and she was kissing him back. He breathed in her scent; damp hair and a hint of vanilla. She tasted of blood and salty tears, but he didn't mind in the least. He was intoxicated with her, each touch shooting shockwaves through his body in fierce sparks of…love?…power? They were one and the same for Hatter.

His dry, cracked lips caressing her soft, busted ones, Hatter clenched his fingers and drew back his elbow. His right side swelled with dizzying strength, and he collided his fist into the base of the casino with every scrap of might he had, which seemed endless, charged continuously by his Alice's sweet kisses. He could barely feel the throbbing injuries that riddled his body.

There was a rumbling din of cracking concrete and splintering glass. Hatter reluctantly peeled himself away from Alice, his gaze drifting up the side of the casino. Faults were climbing upwards and outwards, and windows were exploding as the impact rippled through the entire building.

"Well, well, whaddaya know?" Hatter murmured under his breath.

He peeked down at Alice, who, he was pleased to see, was rooted to the spot with her lips parted, a dreamy glaze in her blue eyes. But now wasn't the time for all _that_.

"Alice, _run!_" He seized her wrist and, spurred by his new power, sprinted away from the shattering casino as fast as their legs could carry them.

~TBC~

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**A/N:** Kapow! Couldn't resist the _Army of Darkness_ stuff. The whole true love's first kiss mumbo jumbo is for duchessfaleen. (I originally wasn't going to let them kiss just yet, but after the last few chapters, Hatter deserved it!) Things should start getting much fluffier now :)

**Anyway, thanks for reading! As always, feedback is much loved and keeps me motivated and inspired!**


	9. On the mend

**Disclaimer:** I don't own anything. I just play around and take liberties! Based off SyFy's _Alice_ (2009).

**Warnings: **Contains expletives and a **naked!wet!Hatter**. Fluffiness ensues, with a healthy dose of UST. Strong PG-13 I guess?

**Chapter Summary:** Hatter's on the mend, the Resistance is on the mend, and Alice's relationship with her father is on the mend. (Get it? Cause that's the name of the chapter? ;)

**A/N:** I have to say, it was kind of hard to get this rolling without all the action, and I really have no clue how it wound up following my apparent trend of making each chapter at least as long as the one before it! What can I say, I'm long-winded =D This fic is exhausting! *massages eyeballs* Thank you for reading, I love you guys!

* * *

_CRACK!_

Lightning strobed over the curved dirt walls and thunder shook the ground as members of the Resistance and the rescued Oysters they toted streamed out into the forest from the secret access tunnel. Calysta and Santi stood just inside the entrance, anxiously awaiting the final wave of Oysters. Judging by the frequency and intensity of the thunder, they didn't have long before Triton and the rest of the storm clouds flooded the Tweedles' subterranean dungeons.

"Caly, we're out of time. You need to get out of here. _Now_." Santi turned away from the fresh air to the thick shadows.

Calysta grabbed his bicep, forcefully spinning him back around to face her. "Where the hell do you think you're going?"

The man pumped his shotgun. "Somebody's gotta take care of those crackpot twins!"

The Duchess placed a graceful hand on the gun barrel, pressing it down as she drew nearer to him. Santi lowered the gun with no resistance. "Triton will take care of them, you've played enough _Ash_ for the day." Snaking her hand behind his head, she rose on her tiptoes and pulled him down to ghost his lips over hers. The pair morphed into a single silhouette against the flashing downpour, and thunder quaked in her marrow as she breathed into him, "Stay with me." It was scarcely a whisper; she wasn't sure he would even hear it above the din of the storm and the commotion of the escapees.

Then she kissed him, gingerly testing the waters before intensifying into breathless passion. She felt his free hand tighten around her waist, and she let herself believe for a whole second that perhaps things would be made right in the universe.

But the moment was broken too soon, and panicked shouts emerged murkily to register in her tuned-out ears. She looked back sharply to see stragglers hotfooting it from the gloomy depths, dragging decrepit Oysters and scrambling up the gentle slope to flee into the forest. Behind their yells rose the crashing roar of rushing water, and even closer behind that came the violent surge of waves, engulfing those that had been too slow to outpace Triton's torrent. _Shit._

No more backward glances, the two renegades dove for the tunnel opening as the flood overtook them, towing them along its current into the forest.

-oOo-

"C'mon, Jellybean, you need to get some proper rest."

"Nnnggng."

Hamilton sighed, regarding his daughter with paternal sympathy. He thought of his wife, and the pain his disappearance must have caused her. Alice said he'd been missing for a good thirteen years on their side of the Looking Glass. _Carol_… How would she react to him when he showed up on her doorstep after all this time? She may not even want him in her life. After all, they'd been separated for so long, they were essentially strangers. But he still felt the love in his heart for the woman he'd married and made a child with. He hoped she did, too.

The man choked on the lump in his throat and drew in a shaky breath. He had to keep it together for Alice. She was slumped on a stool, head resting on the Hatter boy's cot, hand enfolding his. Her dark brown tresses fanned across her velvet-clad shoulders and cascaded onto his bandage-ridden torso.

Virtually the instant they'd arrived at Charlie's camp in the hijacked Imperial Scarab, the boy's dire physical state had eclipsed the last vestiges of the Queen's teas in his system, and he'd reeled and blacked out with the rapid onslaught of acute pain. The white knight had scurried about the camp, scooping up herbs and flowers, boiling water for poultices and surgical instruments, whipping up a mysterious salve…all the while muttering Black Arts gibberish. Alice had hovered like a mosquito, jumping in to lend a hand to the old man at every opportunity. That must have been nearly three full days ago, and the girl had hardly left Hatter's side since. Hamilton had to coax the living daylights out of her just to get her to eat, and considered it a personal triumph when he convinced her to wash up in the grotto, change into fresh clothes, and let someone tend to her own cuts and bruises. He noted with fond amusement that she bathed in record time, rushing back to the makeshift medical tents with dripping hair.

The Resistance was bustling to transport refugees and provisions from the Great Library to the Kingdom of the White Knights. The consensus was to rebuild their lives away from the dismal city, grow food, restore the Kingdom. Nothing had been salvaged from the Happy Hearts casino; King Triton had washed the rubble away in the unforgiving flood.

The undead army and the storm clouds hadn't stopped there. Queen Mary had smaller, covert operations dotted throughout Wonderland, and they were systematically dealt with in a similar fashion to the casino. It was simpler without the considerable number of innocent lives involved, and there were no more ancient enchantments, so things went comparatively smoothly. A wave of knights and Resistance members always preceded the clouds to issue a warning of the deluge to come.

The Queen herself had been gagged, bound in a straightjacket (which was no easy feat), and borne off to the Hospital of Dreams to join her fellow junkies in the padded cells. Winston rocked back on his heels as she screamed muffled bloody murder at the men and women stuffing her into the scarab. "Now, now, my cherry blossom, you _really_ must relax! These folks know _precisely_ what they're doing!" With a dismissive salute, he strode off to advise his son on the more pressing matters at hand.

Prince Jack, soon to be crowned King Jack (since Winston had conveyed his desire to step down), marshaled what he dubbed the "Diplomacy Brigade." The units were to roam the cities and countryside in the aftermath of the storms, corralling black-market tea operations and recruiting survivors, among other things. Santi, Calysta, Caterpillar, and Dodo had been appointed as leaders of individual units of the Brigade. Charlie, Owl, Duck, and a host of others had volunteered to stay behind to man the medical tents and undertake all necessary operations of the camp.

Hamilton witnessed Jack's hideously awkward goodbye with Alice, who didn't budge from her place beside Hatter's cot. The jaded future king mounted his black horse and set out with the Brigade's Gryphon unit, maintaining his practiced confident posture despite his crestfallen expression. Hamilton felt sorry for the young royal, who, though unwise in his choice of actions, appeared to have been doing what he genuinely believed was right.

That didn't make Jack right for his daughter, however. This Hatter fellow, on the other hand…

-oOo-

Alice was grateful that she'd given in to her father's insistence that she bathe and change into the simple garments Owl had found for her. Drawstring pants and a tunic woven of a downy soft fiber were miles better than the bloody remnants of her blue dress, and of course there was the familiar comfort of her velvet coat shielding her from the nighttime chill. She'd opted to go commando, foregoing the undergarments she'd been wearing for…she didn't know how long…tossing them into the bonfire with her dress and performing a private bra-burning victory dance when she was certain no one was watching. Her feet were bare so she could spread her aching toes, sinking her feet into the grass and mud, and Alice swore an oath to never wear those goddamn boots ever again.

She kept vigil over Wonderland's recuperating hero, replacing the poultices, applying the salve, and wetting his parched tongue with water as he slept. And slept…and slept. He'd been sleeping for days, and Alice expected to go stir crazy any minute, but his pulse and his breath and his warmth kept her grounded, assuring her that he was alive. She even heard him mumbling on occasion, something about clockwork, and she smiled softly to herself as she observed his rosebud lips moving of their own accord. Then his jaw would go slack, and she would take a second to appreciate the way his long black lashes curled in half-moons at the crest of his cheekbones.

-oOo-

_Maybe crumbs in the clockwork…_

"What's your mother gonna do when she sees me?"

"I don't know, Dad. She gave up a long time ago. I'm pretty sure she thinks you abandoned us…"

Hatter could make out the tones of Alice's voice, but he couldn't see her or speak to her. In fact, he couldn't move any of his muscles. His body had shut itself down for repairs, but his mind was steadily waking, and he focused on the Oyster girl's voice, anchoring himself to it.

"…And so did I," Alice confessed haltingly, "for a time."

She was met with silence.

"Okay, Dad, so it won't be a picnic, but I'm sure she'll come around eventually. We'll have to tell her the truth, you know."

"Alice! She'll never believe us! We'll wind up in a mental institution…"

Alice laughed heartily. "She might think we're nuts at first, but I don't believe she'd go that far! Like I said, she'll come around. She's always been cool…she'll come around, Dad, you'll see."

"I hope you're right."

More silence. Hatter wished with all his being that he could open his eyes. He had to make sure Alice was okay, had to keep his wits about him. That stubborn little Oyster was constantly getting herself into trouble. His brain growled. Why couldn't he move?

"So, what about _him_?" Hamilton questioned.

_Him? Him who?_ Hatter tried desperately to assemble the jumbled jigsaw pieces of his thoughts.

"What do you mean?"

Hamilton roared with laughter. "Don't give me that innocent act, Alice. I may have been absent for a large chunk of your young life, but you're still my daughter, and I'd have to be blind and brainless to not see the way you feel about this kid. You've barely left his side to go to the _bathroom_, and it might interest you to know that the medic volunteers can't stop gossiping about it."

"_Dad!_"

" 'Ooh, the Alice of Legend and the Hero of Wonderland, how _romantic_!' " Hamilton mocked in an affected high-pitched tone.

"Daddy, stop it!" Alice was snickering.

" 'Written in the stars, it is! Destined by the Fates themselves!' "

"Cut it out!"

The pulse quickened in Hatter's veins. He didn't know how he could tell, but he could swear Alice was blushing, which was definitely not unwelcome in his book. _These Oysters and their potent emotions!_ He soaked up the sensations. She was concerned about him, but he already knew that. He discerned her amorous yearning and desire for him, which pleased him immensely, and he itched to satisfy their mutual cravings.

But she was also anxious, and not simply for his wellbeing. She was uncomfortable with the sentiments he stirred in her. He'd be lying to himself if he said that didn't bother him at all, seeing as how he fully embraced what _she_ stirred in _him_. He'd just have to put her mind at ease…all she needed was a proper nudge in the right direction. He smirked inwardly. _Think I should be able to handle _that_, now, shouldn't I? _His brain percolated with the various methods in which he could perform said nudging.

"So…" Hamilton persisted, "_What about him?_"

"He's been horribly injured…someone has to watch over him?" she offered feebly.

"Uh-huh. I see more than one tent full of injured people, and yet I haven't seen you sleeping beside any of the _other _cots."

"He saved my life! He lost _everything_…and it's all my fault!" Her breath hitched and her voice wavered. "I owe him _so much_, Dad!"

"So you expect me to buy that a plain-old classic case of guilt has you sleeping on this stool night after night?"

"I don't know, Dad. I mean, I don't know anything about him…it's too soon…"

"He saved your life?"

"_Several_ times, actually."

"And he's managed to earn your trust in the few days you've known him?"

In the foggy recesses of his mind, Hatter steeled himself for her answer. _Please, Alice, ya hafta trust me by now…_

"Alice?"

The girl exhaled. "Of course he has. I trust him completely," she acknowledged softly. "I trust him more than I've trusted any man…any _person_, for that matter." She hesitated. "I've had to _rely_ on him. He never once let me down, and I never once thought he would. Not of his own free will, anyway." Alice sniffled. "And I'm not used to that. It's…confusing."

_Thank the bloody blessed Fates!_ Hatter wanted to wrap his arms around her, but had to content himself with imagining a hug. It felt good, even in his head.

"It may have been a short time, Alice, but he's repeatedly proven himself to you with his actions, hasn't he? There's a famous quote by Andrew Carnegie: 'As I grow older, I pay less attention to what men say. I just watch what they do.' You understand me?"

Hatter's cluttered mind wasn't entirely clear on what he'd done to deserve her father's support, but he positively approved of his style.

"Yeah, but trusting him and having…_feelings_…for him are two different things!"

Hamilton chuckled. "Both trust and love need each other to survive, Alice."

"But –"

"Let me finish. If he has proven himself to you, if you trust him beyond a doubt, then you know his soul, don't you? You don't need an account of a person's life history to know his _essence_. If you know this young man's soul, you know him well enough to love him."

There was no vocal response from Alice. Hatter felt her fingers interlock with his, her other palm caressing his arm. Her hands were ice cold, but he didn't care. All that mattered was that she was touching him. His mind began clearing up in the quietude, and he started recalling all that had taken place at the casino. He pushed the memories from his brain, having no desire to go there. _Thank the gods she's safe._ What he wouldn't give to kiss her right now, clutch her to him. _And a whole lot of other things._

"The pair of you have been through more strain than most couples go through in a lifetime. You leaned on each other quite beautifully, I might add. If that doesn't breed true bonds, I don't know what does."

"But what am I supposed to do? I can't very well ask him to come to the other side of the Looking Glass with me. And I have a life there, and you and Mom. Anyway, for all I know…"

Hatter sensed embarrassment rising in Alice.

"For all I know, my brain is just scrambled because I'm – becauseI'msophysicallyattractedtohim," she blurted out in one breath.

Hamilton didn't suppress his snort.

"_There!_ I said it! Happy? Hatter is _damn_ fine, and he's all I can think about. But what if this is just an intense infatuation that will fade away? All relationships come to an end, Dad."

"You've already jumped to that conclusion? I don't seem to remember raising my daughter to be a defeatist! And I'd bet money that Carol didn't raise you that way, either. You never gave up in your search for me, right? Why give up on something before it's even started? Life can't be divided into black and white, you know that."

"So what should I do?" Alice sounded plaintive.

Hatter perceived a twinge of anger in her, as well as her frustration with herself for being so befuddled and indecisive.

"I can't tell you what to do. Logic is important, Alice, it truly is. Logic is a gift of humanity. Logic dictates that the passage of time changes everything, but on the other hand, it can't predict the future. It isn't solely logic that makes us human, or we'd be no more than droids." Hamilton paused, inhaling deeply.

"You can't ignore your heart. When you ignore your heart, you live a life with regrets. Trust me on that one. My heart has known for ages that something was amiss, and look at all the life I wasted by not acting on my instincts! Your instincts, your soul, _that_ is who you _are_. As in one of your sparring sessions, or a scuffle on the street, logic can only take you so far, Alice. Ultimately you have to go with your gut."

Alice lay her head on Hatter's bandaged chest. His fingers ached to stroke her hair, and his nose detected subtle hints of cinnamon and vanilla. _Gods_ she smelled heavenly to him, like fresh-baked cookies from his early childhood, before his parents had fallen into junkie abyss.

"Do you love him, Alice?"

Hatter would have been holding his breath if he could control it himself. The silence seemed to stretch on forever. He felt her shift atop him; she must have been studying his face. She _did_ love him, he could feel it radiating from her core in waves. It was sublime.

"Be honest with yourself, Jellybean. Trust your gut."

"I…_Dad!_" Alice gasped. "He squeezed my hand! Holy shit! He's never done that!"

Hatter attempted to will his eyes open.

"Did you see that? His eyeballs are moving under the lids! That hasn't happened before!"

Hatter was overwhelmed by the relieved joy bursting from the girl hovering over him.

"Hatter? Hatter, wake up!"

He wanted to wake up. He really did. _I'm okay, Alice. Ya don't hafta worry about me._

"Oh my god! He squeezed my hand again! Do you think he can hear me?"

"He's probably dreaming, Alice. REM sleep is a good sign. Let him be."

Alice grew quiet, lightly stroking Hatter's cheek, her breath warm and moist on his skin. He could hear her yawning. It was contagious, and he felt like yawning himself.

"Go lie down. I'll stay here and keep an eye on him. You can trust _me_ to do that, can't you?" Hamilton asked slyly.

Alice giggled. "That's not it, it's just…I _need_ to be here when he wakes up."

"Don't you think he'd want you to take care of yourself?"

She scoffed. "Oh c'mon," she yawned again, "that's so cliché!"

"Maybe so, but it's true, isn't it? Alice, I _promise_ I'll come get you the minute he starts coming around."

Hatter detected the exhaustion threatening to overpower her reluctance to leave his side. He strived to speak, to tell her to get some rest. _I'll be fine, Alice._

"Come get me the minute _before_ he starts coming around, even if I'm sleeping, and you've got yourself a deal."

"_Deal!_"

Alice pecked Hatter on the nose. "Good night, Hatter."

_G'night, my Alice._

-oOo-

A cool gust of wind wafted over creamy skin, toying lazily with fine forearm hair. Alice emerged from a dreamless sleep and peered up from the ebony frame of her lashes, taking in the patches of clear blue sky interlaced with the rustling leaves of the trees. The sun dappled through the greenery, glimmering as she swung gently in Charlie's hammock. Her body felt light and unencumbered, cradled in the swaying canvas. She felt serene, no longer in fear for her life, and she thanked her lucky stars that Hatter was on the mend.

Alice grazed her almost-healed lips with her fingertips, remembering that _kiss_ with Hatter. Her tongue could still taste the cinnamon and spice and blood and sweat. Simply thinking about it made her skin burn, her head spin. Her stomach knotted delightfully, heightened by the rocking sensations of the hammock, and her heart threatened to sprout wings and fly out of her chest. She felt like a puddle of mush, and the apex of her inner thighs wasn't exactly bone dry, either. All from one little kiss.

He'd wrapped his arms protectively around her waist to bring her into him, nothing more, nothing less. She'd clutched at his sodden silk shirt to steady herself; her legs had become useless jelly. Hatter's kiss had been overflowing with passion, yet unexpectedly sweet and tender. She'd been able to sense all the emotion in him; it was so much more than lust.

It might even be love.

She grinned giddily at the thought, then mentally slapped herself for behaving like such a teenager. But she couldn't help it, and if she was honest with herself, she _liked_ the way Hatter made her feel. And why shouldn't she? He'd dashingly rescued her on more than one occasion, and the smoldering heat in his chocolate-brown eyes was all the excuse any warm-blooded woman needed. She couldn't wait to kiss him again. _And lots of other things…_ She closed her eyes, wondering how much longer she'd have to wait for Hatter to wake up.

As if in answer to her wish, she heard her father's shouts in the distance. "Alice!"

_THUD!_

Startled, the girl had jerked her head too abruptly and was now hopelessly twisted up in Charlie's hammock on the grass.

"Alice!" Hamilton called to her. "He's coming around!"

That was all she needed to hear, but her fervor to get to Hatter only left her more entangled. She snarled, not sure where the canvas ended and she began.

"Whoah!" Her father at least had the courtesy to stifle his chuckles as he untangled her, and she all but bolted in the direction of the tents the instant she was free.

-oOo-

Hatter bounded off the cot like one of those coiled snake gag gifts, wobbling unsteadily on his stiff, unused legs. He suddenly felt very weak. When was the last time he'd had a bite to eat?

Alice squealed. "Hatter!" She was on him lickety-split, roughly throwing her body against his.

Hatter winced from the jolt and flopped back onto the cot. "Me arm!"

"Shit, sorry!"

He winced and clutched at his bullet wound. "S'okay, love." At any rate, it was probably for the best that they couldn't properly greet each other. He didn't think he had the restraint to be appropriate in the presence of her father.

"Here." Alice handed him a canteen filled with cool spring water.

"Oh, you are bloody _wonderful!_" Hatter noisily chugged the contents of the canteen, gasping for air when he'd drained every last drop.

Alice took the canteen from him. "I'll go refill it for you. Are you hungry at all?"

"_Starvin'!_ Could eat a whole jabberwock!"

"First off: ew. Secondly: I'm on it!" Alice dashed off, her love and excitement trailing in her wake, and Hatter was left alone with her father.

"How can I ever thank you for all that you've done for my daughter?" Hamilton pulled up a stool next to the cot.

"I don't need thanks, sir." Hatter took a deep breath. It was best to be frank with Alice's father right from the get go. He didn't seem like the type of man to beat around the bush. "I love her, Mr. Hamilton. I'll do _anythin'_ to protect her."

Hamilton nodded. "That, young man, has been made abundantly clear." He smiled. "And please, call me Robert."

Hatter's face broke into his most charming grin. "Thanks, sir." He laughed. "Robert, I mean!"

"I don't know why, but I like you! Considering the last time I saw Alice was when she was ten years old, you'd think I'd be incurably wary of your intentions."

"I'll take that as a compliment, thanks very much!" Hatter beamed. "And I assure you, I have nothin' but honorable intentions towards your daughter."

"Yeah, well, from the way Alice has been talking about you, I suspect you guys wouldn't mind a little alone time, either!" Hamilton winked.

Hatter veiled his face in feigned ignorance in the off chance that this was a bait-and-switch, which drew boisterous laughter from Alice's father.

"Forgive my candidness, Hatter, but I'm a man, too, you know! I can't stop thinking about my wife. Haven't seen her in a lifetime!"

Hatter jabbed his fist into Hamilton's shoulder in a token of brotherhood. "Oi, you'll be reunited with her before ya know it."

"Yeah…" Hamilton knitted his eyebrows and stared into space.

Hatter left him to his thoughts. _Poor bloke._

The hush was broken by Alice, who was enthusiastically running towards them, bearing a colorful tray of food.

"Where'd you get all that _fruit_, Alice? And…is that _cheese?_"

Alice grinned. "Courtesy of the Diplomacy Brigade!"

"The what now?"

"I'll explain everything later. Eat."

Hatter didn't need to be told twice.

-oOo-

"What's the surprise, Alice?" Hatter's eyes were screwed shut, and he spoke with hardly-restrained excitement.

"You'll see!" Alice took the awkward crutch from under his right arm, the one not in a sling, and supported him on her shoulders so he wouldn't stumble over the uneven ground. After all, she'd been the one to request that he close his eyes, so at the very least she could make this little trek easier for him. Not that she needed an excuse to wrap him around her… Propping the crutch against a tree, she led him downhill along the forest path.

Just yesterday Alice had discovered the source of a spring that trickled into a small waist deep pool before it filtered off into the grotto where they'd gone skinny-dipping. Her cheeks burned at the memory, which seemed like forever ago.

It had taken a lot of doing to prepare this surprise for him. When she'd learned that the last of his bandages could be removed and it was okay for him to be submerged in water for a proper bath, she'd asked the medics to leave it up to her and not mention anything to him. They'd cocked their eyebrows and smirked knowingly, but offered no protest to the Alice of Legend.

Just Plain Alice spent the daylight hours collecting masses of smooth stones, heating them in a fire she'd built poolside. She continuously fed the fire to keep the temperature up. When the stones were heated through, she shoveled half of them into Hatter's bath, keeping the rest in the flames to add in as needed while the water gradually cooled. She'd gathered large branches to temporarily block up both mouths of the pool, hoping to prevent as much loss of heat as possible. She was pleased with how steaming the bath water had become, and thanked _Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon _for giving her the clever idea.

Alice caught Hatter peering shiftily at her through his squinted eyelashes. "No peeking! Not until I say so!"

"Can I guess, at least?"

The girl snorted. "Sure, whatever. Give it a shot." They'd reached their destination, anyway, so he'd find out soon enough.

Hatter stopped abruptly, squeezing his arm around Alice to bring her to a halt. His eyes remained shut, but the crooked curl of his lips told her what was on his mind.

A delicious tingle ran down the length of her spine.

"Hmmm…" He whirled her around to face him, reaching for her hand and rubbing his thumb along the delicate skin of her wrist, standing with his weight on his left leg. He continued to follow her instructions, never opening his eyes. "Is it smaller than a bread-and-butter box?"

Alice playfully smacked his good shoulder with her free hand, grinning from ear to ear. "Nope!"

"That rules out a cuppa tea, then!" Hatter wrinkled his button nose. "Is it a pretty Oyster girl?" A lecherous smile crept across his scruffy face. "Preferably without too much clothin'?"

That was patently bold, and although Alice would normally be turned off by such forwardness, out of Hatter's Cupid's bow mouth it was…_hot_.

"If you play your cards right!" She did her absolute best to sound nonchalant, not wanting to betray the effect he had on her, and was moderately satisfied with the result.

"_Really?_ Is it a hot bath, then?" his voice was hopeful.

"No fair! You peeked!" Alice laughed, only mildly dismayed that he'd guessed her surprise so easily. Any disappointment was supplanted by the pride she felt for nailing precisely what he would want at that moment.

Hatter's espresso eyes popped open. "No peekin', cross me heart! I just happen to think a steamin' hot bath would be quite lovely, is all." He inched closer to her, lilting to the left with his limp.

Alice leaned back slightly at the intensity in his gaze, but she stood her ground, heart going a mile a minute. Her vision tunneled on the wild man before her, his untamed hair tousled in a feral halo about his face. Her eyes roamed lower. His chest was bare save his bandages and arm sling, nipples erect in the chilly breeze of early evening, gray scrubs clinging scandalously low on his narrow hips. Alice could see the outlines of his abdominal muscles and the fine treasure trail vanishing tantalizingly into his waistband. She failed miserably at pretending not to notice that he was going commando as well, her grey-blue eyes widening of their own volition. _Oh god oh god oh god…_

"So, if I play me cards right, said steamin' hot bath comes with a steamin' hot, _very_ pretty, very _wet_, Oyster girl, yeah?

_Now there's a dangerously attractive scenario._ "Uhhh," Alice's mind raced for something witty to say, but came up dry. "You _wish_…" she meant for it to come out as challenging banter, but her voice sounded weak and wobbly.

"I see…" Hatter toyed with the round buttons of her purple coat until he had unfastened each one. He slid his right hand under her collar, closing what was left of the tiny gap between them and bringing his lips to her ear.

Alice stood transfixed, indulging in the fiery tingles running rampant through her body at his touch.

"But y'know, love," Hatter whispered in her ear, "in my condition, I need some assistance…preferably from someone with a…_gentle_ touch." He smoothed his hand down her back, slinking the coat off her shoulders into a crumpled heap on the grass. "And I don't really fancy askin' Charlie for help, so a very _pretty_, _very_ wet Oyster girl oughta do nicely."

The brisk breeze blowing over her bare arms played but a minor role in eliciting a shiver from Alice. She was wet, alright. How was he able to do that to her? "Uhm…" she murmured again.

Hatter smirked, beaming his dimples at her.

The man was infuriating; he knew _precisely_ what he was doing to her, didn't he?

"I'll make this easy for ya. I've been terribly gentlemanlike thus far, yeah?"

Nod. _Gulp_. "Mmm."

"But…I _did_ buy ya off Ratty, y'know, and bein' owned by me has its…_stipulations_."

Her blue eyes bugged out of her head. _Get a grip, Alice._ "Oh? What kind of stipulations, exactly?" It didn't even occur to her to be offended by his statement. They both knew he didn't _actually_ own her, of course, and she certainly didn't mind playing along. Not with him looking at her like _that_.

"Well, for starters, I only got one arm what works, don't I?" he insinuated.

Alice regained a portion of her wits, and her fingers began working nimbly at the bandages that still riddled his upper body. She had difficulty fathoming how he had recovered so well in such a short span of time, but she chucked her questions and chalked it up to _fricken' Wonderland_. Besides, Hatter had proven to be nothing less than remarkable from the instant he'd spun around in that white chair in his teashop, so should she really be surprised that he evidently had Wolverine-like healing powers? All of his wounds had closed and looked relatively healthy. The scars were pink and fresh, but no longer painful. Nothing was infected and his spirits had been soaring. His left humerus and right femur were damaged from the bullets, hence the crutch and sling, but even his wrists and ankles were fully scarred over. Most astonishing of all? His fractured ribs appeared to have miraculously fused back together, because he didn't once complain about any tenderness or discomfort there. Charlie's ancient remedies and Hatter's power "nap" had apparently done the trick.

Without a word, Alice carefully disengaged Hatter's left arm from the sling. He hissed as she gently lowered his arm so that it hung straight at his side and discarded the sling on the ground next to the pile of used bandaging. His eyes clenched briefly before he gazed back down at her with a serious stare.

"And a bum leg, don't forget that."

Alice held back a smile. With how low those baggy scrubs were riding and how stretched out the elastic was, he could probably shimmy out of them with no more than a wiggle of the hips. Plus, he was barefoot, so it's not like he had to untie his boots or anything that would be remotely difficult with his injured leg. But she obliged him, willing herself to peer into his eyes and _not_ at his exposed lower half as she tugged the elastic away from his body and allowed the scrubs to fall and pool at his feet. Every fiber of her being screamed _look down!_ But she challenged herself to fight the urge.

Hatter grinned at her suggestively, gripping her shoulder to steady himself as he stepped out of the scrubs. "Now you."

That gruffly seductive tone might have been the end of a weaker woman, but Alice had an agenda. "The water's cooling, and it's a bit nippy out here," she indicated Hatter's hard nipples.

He chuckled and flashed her an impish smile, drifting his eyes to her chest and cocking an eyebrow at the stiff peaks poking through the thin fabric of her white tunic.

Alice giggled like a silly schoolgirl. _Since when did she giggle like a schoolgirl?_ "C'mon, you!" She helped him limp along to the pool, supporting him as he gingerly dipped into the water.

"Wow! This really _is_ hot! But not _too_ hot…it's perfect!"

She grinned, delighted that her surprise was such a hit. "You can actually sit and relax, there's a smooth rock shelf jutting out from that side."

"Really? Thanks, love." Hatter hobbled the couple feet to the ledge and seated himself, sighing heavily. "How'd ya get the water so warm?" His eyes followed her movements.

"Like this!" Alice shoveled up a scoop of glowing stones from the fire, and with a "watch out!" dumped them sizzling and hissing into the shallow water.

"Oi! Bloody brilliant!"

"Glad you approve."

The soothing sounds of lapping water and forest insects permeated the hushed stillness that spanned the distance between them. Hatter's eyes glinted at her in the low light of dusk.

Alice cleared her throat, plucking up her nerve. "So, I believe you mentioned something about the stipulations of being owned by you?" She cringed. She'd intended to come across as sultry, not so…_matter-of-fact_.

Hatter visibly perked up, lifting his right arm out of the water to settle his elbow on the bank behind him. "I did, didn't I?"

"Well?" Alice gulped, feeling utterly exposed under his sharp gaze, despite the fact that she was fully dressed.

His stormy eyes narrowed. "The clothes," he tilted his head and gestured at her. "Take 'em off."

Instead of bristling like she would with any other man at such brash words, (especially in light of her recent nightmarish encounter with Mad March), Alice shuddered pleasantly and grasped the hem of her shirt. Truth be told, it was quite possibly the hottest thing she'd ever heard. This was _Hatter_, after all. And Hatter had nothing to do with Mad March, or any other man from Alice's past, for that matter.

She trusted him. She knew he truly respected her and that if she didn't really want any of this, she could refuse and he wouldn't push her or make her feel bad. Besides, this was _his_ surprise gift, and the Hero of Wonderland deserved a reward, didn't he? She broke out into gooseflesh thinking of herself as _Hatter's_ reward. Alice was a modern, independent, strong woman, but there was something titillating about the concept.

Only Hatter could bring about such contradictions in her, and Alice found it refreshing and arousing. She made up her mind right then and there to wholly embrace this side of herself with him. Besides, she _wanted_ him. This was her reward, too.

"_Slowly_," he ordered.

Alice obeyed, gradually tugging the shirt over her head, her raven locks tumbling free onto her shoulders and resting atop her perky breasts. She met his gaze, the ardent gleam in his eye emboldening her to run her hands along her exposed skin, giving him a little show before leisurely slipping her pants off her hips and dropping them to her ankles. She stepped out of them and waited, gliding her hands up and down the sides of her ribcage and hipbones.

"You're beautiful, y'know."

He sounded so sincere, Alice had no choice but to believe him.

"Join me?"

A naked Alice smiled shyly and made her way to the pool, lowering herself into the steaming bath. She was thrilled at how well the hot stones had worked. "I've got soap," she swallowed, "want me to wash your hair?"

"Yes, please. That would be lovely."

She waded over to stand in front of him, reaching past his head to grab the bar of lye soap from the stack of towels she'd had the foresight to snag from the medical tents. He brushed his fingers over her stomach beneath the water's surface, and her already heat-flushed skin turned crimson.

"Here, scoot forward."

Hatter did as she asked, gripping her hip with his right hand and planting a kiss squarely between her breasts.

Alice squeaked.

"Apologies, love," he nuzzled his scruff over her skin. "Can't help m'self."

"No worries," she choked out. Honestly, she didn't object in the least. But it was his turn for some pampering. Reluctantly, she pried his fingers off her and wriggled into the space on the ledge behind him, straddling her legs on either side of his.

Gently fisting her hand in his unruly mane, she tugged his head back to dunk his hair in the water. She lathered the soap in her hands, massaging his scalp. The nurses had given him cold sponge baths and washed his hair in a basin, so Alice wasn't faced with the task of ridding him of all the caked blood that had once plastered him from head to toe. She could concentrate on soothing him with her touch, encouraging him to relax in the heat. When she'd rinsed all the soapy residue from his locks, she moved on to the rest of him, exceedingly careful with the delicate scar tissue covering his body and the painful injuries in his arm and leg.

She extricated herself from behind him, moving around to wash his legs and feet. She took her time, rubbing his sore soles with firm pressure, using her limited knowledge of reflexology and eliciting all-too-sexy groans of pleasure from his chest.

Alice was too turned on, and indubitably did not have enough self-control in this particular situation, to risk washing his…_bits_. Hatter chortled when she shoved the soap into his hand and told him he could finish the rest himself, thank you very much.

"Ya sure?" Hatter faked a pathetic cough. "But I'm injured and helpless! I need a _woman's_ touch, if ya know what I mean…"

Yes, Alice certainly knew what he meant, but the populated camp was too close for her liking. It was silly, she knew, but after what her father had said about the gossip in the medical tents, she worried that some pervert might spy on them. There would be plenty of time for all _that_ later.

At least, she _hoped_ she had the willpower to abstain…

"Shut up, Hatter!" She waded to the other side of the pool and, without having to exit the warmth of the bath, reached for the shovel and transferred another pile of scalding-hot stones from the fire into the water. She wasn't through with Hatter's gift, not yet.

She took a moment to observe him. His eyes were closed and he looked peaceful, reclining so his head rested against the bank. Two gibbous moons and a few bright stars were reflected on the tranquil surface of the water. Twilight had nearly faded entirely, and the glow of the firelight flickered over his relaxed features. Her heart swelled.

Settling herself back into the space between Hatter and the bank, Alice began massaging his aching muscles, starting with his neck and shoulders. She remained ever mindful of his injuries.

But it was only a matter of time before the massage became more…_sensual._ She _really _should have known better…

"_We've all seen what you can do with that sledgehammer!"_

Owl didn't know the half of it, and Alice had an inkling that this was only the tip of the iceberg.

Things were just getting _very_ interesting indeed when they heard familiar voices growing closer, loud enough to distract the couple from their state of shared bliss.

"_Where is that rapscallion? I'll bash him brainless!_"

~TBC~

* * *

**A/N:** Hope you enjoyed this one! I made it extra flufftastic for you guys ;D And no serious cliffies this time =)

Let me know what you thought, your feedback totally inspires me! **And keep your eyes peeled for an M-rated extended edition of the bath scene to be posted later this week!**

***UPDATE: Extended scene now published as "Play the Right Cards"**

And yes, Hamilton was very accepting of our Hatter. Hatter not only saved Alice's life a bunch of times, but Hamilton knows that he doesn't have much in the way of "fatherly rights" anyway, and Alice is an independent woman capable of making her own decisions, thank you very much!

**A/S/N: **I've got some Connor/Abby on the backburner for you Primeval fans out there, hopefully I'll get a chance to play with them soon =)

******Shadow of the past:** I do believe there are outdoor bath scenes in both _Crouching Tiger_ and _Flying Daggers_, but perhaps the hot stone aspect is more prominent in _Flying Daggers_...? I should re-watch them, it's been a while! Anyway, weird that it's in both, I hadn't thought about that before! Thanks for pointing that out and next time feel free to PM me :)


	10. Harmony part I

**Disclaimer:** I don't own anything. I just play around and take liberties! Based off SyFy's _Alice_ (2009).

**Warnings: **nudity, implied pervy activity (couldn't be helped!), mild language

**Chapter Summary:** We all have something in common. And karma can be a blessing or a bitch, it's up to you.

**A/N:** Apologies for the delay. I moved to a new city and started my full time MFA program :)

* * *

"_Where is that rapscallion? I'll bash him brainless!_"

"Charlie! Charlie, don't! Leave them be!"

_Shit!_ The voices of the intruders were practically upon them. Alice and Hatter scrambled into less compromising positions, which was pretty much impossible considering they were quite clearly naked in a hot tub together. Hatter leaned against the bank, whistling lightly in an attempt to look casual. Alice distanced herself from him, dunking her body into the water until only her head was visible above the surface. She felt like she was fourteen and her mother had come home early to catch her making out with her boyfriend on the living room couch.

At least it was mercifully dark out...beyond the pale luminescence of the two gibbous moons.

Clanking metal heralded the arrival of the knight, and soon they perceived white armor glinting in the moonlight. Hamilton was tugging on his elbow in an effort to drag him back up the forest path, but the old man carried on, unhindered and resolute.

The clanking stopped abruptly. Alice shrank at Charlie's apoplectic expression, which was amplified by the flickering red glow of the fire. She didn't dare look at Hatter.

"YOU…you-you-you…" Charlie brandished a finger at Hatter, his warbly voice climbing several octaves. "You…_scoundrel!_"

Alice chanced a peek at Hatter, and almost burst out laughing at the shock plastered on his face. Almost.

"What? What'd I do?"

"What did you _do?_ How typical! A cocksure young _bugbasher_ like yourself, strutting about without so much as a second thought to besmirching the Lady Alice of Legend's honor!"

Alice stifled a snort. The entire scenario had struck her funny bone, and the fact that it would be inappropriate to laugh made it that much more difficult to hold it in. Like when something hilarious comes to mind during a religious service.

"Now, look here, Charlie –" Hatter started.

"I may be old, but my mind is sharp! I see what you're up to, preying on the Lady Alice like this!" Charlie stormed down the path much faster than should have been possible, considering his old age and heavy armor.

"Charlie!" Alice chimed in reproachfully. "No one is _preying_ on anyone here. In fact, this is supposed to be Hatter's 'Get Well' gift. From _me_."

"Oh, Just Plain Alice, that is precisely my meaning! This…this _miscreant_ is taking advantage of your pure and virtuous intentions!"

This time Alice _did_ burst out laughing. She didn't want to offend Charlie, but she simply couldn't hold it in anymore. _Pure intentions indeed!_ She glanced at Hatter, who still looked like he expected the knight to impale him with a spear, and laughed even harder. She supposed it was up to her to set the record straight.

"Charlie…I'm a twenty-first century woman from New York City. That may not mean anything to you, but let's just say that if this was the first time you and I had met, I'd be insulted. You _know_ that if I wanted to, I could knock Hatter flat on his back!"

"Oi!"

Alice ignored Hatter's interjection. "I know exactly what I'm doing, Charlie. This was all _my_ idea. _All_ of it. And I was quite enjoying myself."

_There._ Speaking such direct words made her heart pound against her flushed chest, but Alice was past the point of embarrassment in this situation. She was completely naked, for crying out loud!

Charlie gasped theatrically, clutching at his armor-plated heart. "My _Lady_! You would subscribe to such lewd behavior? Have you no thought to propriety? The Harbinger is an even more wicked influence than I feared!"

It was Hatter's turn to stifle a snort.

"Sir _Charles_," Hamilton dug his heels into the ground and yanked the old man around to face him. "Charlie, listen. I understand you care deeply for Alice, and I'm truly grateful for all that you've done. But…she's _my_ daughter, let _me_ deal with this. You head back up to the camp."

"If she were _my_ daughter, that _cad_ would be in the stocks before you could say Cheshire!"

"I'll take care of it, I assure you. As her father, I insist that you leave it to me. Please, head back up to the camp."

With no small amount of grumbling, the crazy old knight gave Hatter a few more evil eyes before reluctantly stomped his way back into the woods, the clanging of metal fading with the moonlit gleam of his white armor.

"I'm so sorry, Jellybean, I tried to stop him, but he was on a mission! I knew you'd prepared a special something for Hatter, and you're a big girl…" His eyes remained fixed on the ground, avoiding the naked couple in the spring.

Alice chuckled. "Charlie just cares about me, that's all. 'Sworn to protect,' and all that."

"Yeah…" Hamilton grinned. "Look, I know I can't really _tell_ you what to do, but… It might be a good idea for the two of you to show your faces at the bonfire fairly soon. Before Charlie gets it in his head to storm back down here. And this time I have a feeling he'll be bringing his sword!"

Hatter gulped. "Right. Thanks, Robert."

"Anyway," Hamilton cleared his throat. "I'll just…leave you to it. Don't be too long!"

"Thanks, Daddy, we won't."

"Good." And with that, her father trudged up the slope towards the main camp.

Alice waded over to Hatter. His head was lolled back on the bank, his hand on his chest. "Thought I was a goner, for sure!"

"Oh, don't be so dramatic!" Alice smacked him gently. "Let's head up to the bonfire before Charlie comes back. I'm hungry, anyway." She bent down to kiss him sweetly on the forehead.

Hatter groaned. "Don't get so close to me, woman, or we're not leavin' this spring 'til I've had m'way with you, crazy old knights be damned!"

"Promise?"

Hatter's eyes popped open, darkened with intense lust. "Don't tease. Not funny."

Alice giggled. "Well, as tempting as that proposition is, I really don't feel like getting all worked up only to be interrupted again. Because that sucked. A _lot_. Let's just hold off until we have some privacy." She pulled herself onto the bank and began drying off with a towel.

Hatter growled. "Dunno when that'll be, love, but at this rate I'm gonna need a bloody fortnight alone with you."

Alice shivered, fresh desire pooling deep in her core. She helped Hatter out of the water, flickering her eyes appreciatively over his glistening body and the hard evidence of his attraction to her. She felt more than a little guilty that he was in such a state when he'd taken such good care of her. She wanted to take good care of _him_.

If she couldn't already hear Charlie's distant shouting growing louder once again, she would've dropped to her knees in the cold dirt and returned the favor.

-oOo-

Gazing up at Wonderland's constellations, Alice swung in Charlie's hammock, sleep escaping her. She was too riled up. Even in light of the intense orgasm Hatter had wrested from her, her unfulfilled need to feel him inside of her left her unsatisfied.

_What gives?_ Why were they doomed to perpetual interruption? If only they could find a locked room, then they could go at it in relative peace, no matter who was pounding on the door or what commotion was going on outside. Triton could be tossing up a hurricane, and Alice didn't think that would hinder them.

She glanced at the knight, who was snoring into his ragged teddy bear, reclined in a La-Z-Boy provided by the Diplomacy Brigade. He'd insisted that he sleep in sight of Alice, declaring that he didn't trust the Harbinger to behave like a gentleman. Alice had protested, but he was determined to ignore her arguments. He even set up a hidden trip wire that would alert him if anyone got too close to her sleeping figure. It was so very over the top, but so very Charlie.

Alice sighed.

Wondering if Hatter was lying awake in the medical tent with the same problem, she lovingly cursed the white knight. As frustrating as the whole situation was, she couldn't very well be angry with him. He was just trying to protect her. He was _way_ old school; he didn't understand that modern Oyster women wanted to have sex with their significant others.

_Lots of sex. In the woods. Right now, please._

She shut her eyes in a futile attempt to fall into dreamland. Maybe she could get a little action in her dreams? But sleep eluded her, and she shot her eyes back open with an exasperated growl.

She peeked at Charlie again; he was fast asleep and muttering. She could be quiet when need be. _Why not?_ She slid her hands down her body to give herself a little treat.

-oOo-

Hatter _was_ having the very same problem as Alice. He swung his feet off the cot and grabbed his crutch, hobbling out into the woods.

He limped down the path, trying to clear his head. But that was proving nearly impossible, as he was painfully hard from laying awake thinking about his bath time encounter with Alice.

_Good_ _gods_, she was bloody beautiful. And bloody wonderful. It must have taken her a long time to prepare the hot bath, and it had been exactly what he needed. The perfect gift, made even more perfect by her soft, smooth skin pressed to his.

He could hardly believe his luck, and he couldn't help the niggling feelings of foreboding. Surely she was too good to be true? He kept expecting her to vanish, to find himself waking up in a tea-induced stupor in his shop.

Granted, she'd caused him plenty of trouble, but Hatter would take it all on again in a heartbeat if it meant having her. Maybe he really could relax. Maybe he really _could_ have her. After everything, maybe he was due for some good karma. _You deserve it,_ he reminded himself. _You fought, you survived, and ya got the girl. Good on ya, mate._

Focusing on more positive thoughts, Hatter's mind wandered back to the love wafting off of Alice in the medical tent, and the passion she'd oozed in their sensual bath.

To be honest, he'd been anxious that he'd be unable to perform properly for her, to love her the way she ought to be loved. He'd never once had a sexual encounter unaccompanied by lust tea. It simply wasn't done in Wonderland. A stash of lust was in every bedside drawer beside the contraceptives. Passion cocktails had been his biggest seller, hands down.

But _real_ lust…was something else entirely. Combined with the love and myriad of accompanying tender emotions she stirred in him, lust was the most overwhelming state of being he'd experienced with Alice to date, which made him both relieved and nervous.

On one hand, it was reassuring to know that his body hadn't been spoiled by years of chesh abuse and responded so well to his desire for Alice. On the other hand, this genuine lust was so much more potent than tea, he was terrified that he wouldn't be passionate enough for her.

He wasn't sure he knew _how_ to be passionate without the chesh; it was foreign to him. Alice had grown up with true feelings, had been with Oyster men that had never been addicted to emotion teas. Oyster sexuality was so much deeper, more complex. What if he did something wrong? What if he couldn't pleasure a woman that wasn't high on lust tea herself?

But, thinking back to the bath, Alice certainly hadn't been complaining. Far from it. And Hatter didn't stumble, despite the fact that he'd never actually engaged in foreplay before. Sex was sex for the Wonderlanders. No emotional connections, no use for dirty talk or pillow talk. A dose or six of lust tea was all it took, then a few _wham-bam-thank-you-ma'ams_ and you were out the door…or window, as the case may be. Hatter only knew about foreplay through tidbits gleaned from Oyster literature and media that he'd collected throughout his years spent playing both sides of the court.

To his immense relief, he'd acted on pure instinct with Alice, nerves and doubts dissipating in the reality of the moment. Those tidbits he had to go on were all a resourceful man like himself required, and it certainly didn't hurt that he'd been sensing her emotions since kissing her at the casino.

Not that he really needed to sense her emotional responses when her body gave everything away so beautifully.

His confidence swelled when he recalled her sultry cries of pleasure. Cries _he'd _elicited from her. He could barely believe that he'd done that to her, that her body reacted to him that way. No tea. Nothing but him, her, and his bare hand. Bringing Alice to climax was the most magnificent thing Hatter had ever witnessed.

He'd lost himself in her, and he'd felt her lose herself in him. And they hadn't even sealed the deal. _Yet_.

He stopped and leaned against a tree, fed up with hobbling on the crutch. The damn thing was awkward and chafed his underarm. He wondered how much longer he'd have to use it. He put some hesitant weight on his right leg and hissed, but his joints didn't buckle. Taking a couple experimental steps, he limped around in lopsided circles, wincing with every other footfall but pushing through. His muscles could do with the exercise, and the sharp jolts of burning pain were at least getting his mind off sex…sort of.

_Soon enough_, he consoled himself. It wouldn't be much longer before he was fully healed and fit for travel. As heroes, Hatter and Alice would surely not be denied transport to the city if he came up with an adequate excuse to visit his shop. He was excited to show her his secret flat. They'd only be able to stay for one night – there was too much to be done in the Kingdom – but it would do…for the time being. Hatter hadn't been kidding when he said he wanted Alice to himself for at least a fortnight. He'd find a way to make it happen, sooner or later…

-oOo-

The camp was eerily quiet. Jack lay awake in his tent, hands folded behind his head as he gazed up at the night sky visible through the mesh ceiling. He couldn't fall asleep in such stillness. He'd grown accustomed to the cacophony of New York while living in Alice's world, and the absence of noise was deafening.

It didn't help that the prince was plagued with an active mind and a thousand thoughts. He'd no sooner close his eyes than a dozen new images would flit through his head, reminding him of the mistakes he'd made and the messes his mother had left for him to clean up.

So much weighed heavy on his shoulders. He'd been roaming Wonderland for nearly two weeks now with the Diplomacy Brigade. His father rode by his side beneath the transport Scarab at the head of the caravan, but he was purely there for support and the occasional bit of advice.

The Gryphon unit had made its way north to the coastal lands to rendezvous with the Frog and Turtle units, headed up by Duchess and Ten of Clubs, respectively. They'd set up camp for the night and would disperse to comb the northern coast tomorrow.

The Brigade's mission was going exceedingly well. Not only had they been cleaning up black market tea operations without too much trouble, but they'd also managed to uncover tons of valuable contraband, mostly Oyster paraphernalia. Well, under Jack's rule it was no longer considered contraband, but it was still rare and special. Artisan crafts, technology, fine wines, musical instruments, paintings…the list went on. Hundreds of refugees and Oysters had been recovered, and so-called loyalists were more than willing to denounce their allegiance to the Queen. Scarabs traveled between units and back and forth from the Kingdom of the Knights, bearing refugees, Oysters and spoils.

Jack was thrilled that things had been playing out in his favor thus far, but that didn't stop his brain from worrying over every little thing. He rubbed his eyes in frustration. What he wouldn't give for a couple shots of sleepy tea…

Disgusted with his moment of weakness, he attacked and destroyed those thoughts before they could fully substantiate. He'd given up the junk ages ago, and he intended to get rid of every last drop of chesh in Wonderland.

The Scarabs were crowded with _stuff_, so nearly everyone opted to set up tents outside. The skies were clear and the night air was pleasant. The bonfire had been a place of gathering, of food and chatter and high spirits. Citizens of Wonderland, repressed for so long under the Queen's emotional control, allowed themselves to get wrapped up in the simple joys of the moment. They sang, they danced, they laughed. They were free. Even the future king's smile reached all the way to his eyes for a fleeting moment.

Soft laughter and whispered voices traveled into Jack's ears. Wide-awake and curious, he rolled over to peek through his tent flap towards the dying embers of the fire.

Just visible in the low red glow were Duchess and Ten, laughing together and touching like old pals. Jack felt an unfamiliar pang of jealousy. He'd never heard the Duchess laugh before, and it was quite a beautiful sound.

Their touching became decidedly more than friendly, and Duchess stood up, leading Ten by the hand towards her tent.

Jack was shocked not only by this revelation, but by his own envy. When she'd rescued him from the Eyeron, she'd been his angel. He didn't deserve her indulgence, but he'd arrogantly presumed that she still wanted him, even after all his rebuffs and icy conduct.

The prince realized too late how much he'd taken Duchess for granted. Guilt and shame coalesced in his chest, encasing his heart in such a heavy shell that it dropped to the pit of his stomach.

He'd blown it with Alice, that was for damn sure. Deceiving her had been a mistake, and now, because of the way he'd handled things, the pretty Oyster had fallen for the Mad Hatter.

He gulped and closed his eyes, repressing the surge of resentment he felt for the teashop owner. Hatter had come through for Alice where Jack had failed. In every way. He'd come through for the rest of the Oysters and the people of Wonderland. The prince knew he was infinitely indebted to the conman, but that only deepened his bitterness. He should be eternally grateful. Should be happy if Alice was happy. But he was still human and still quite unaccustomed to such strong emotions. He couldn't ignore the hurt.

Seeing Duchess with Ten was one more twist of the knife. But Jack had made his bed, and now he had to lie in it.

-oOo-

"Ow." Alice stumbled and rolled her ankle in the oversized flimsy yellow galoshes Owl had dug up for her.

"Y'Okay?"

"Yep." She found her footing, treading a careful cadence in the churned up chunks of mud, wildflowers, and grass. As each boot alternatively sunk into the soft ground, the rubber soles were met with crunching glass.

Planting both boots in a particularly squishy patch of mud, the girl took in Hatter's destroyed office with dismay. Anything of remote value was missing; someone had even made away with the white couch. All that remained were a few papers, some broken shards of glass, and a sticky residue splattered everywhere that Alice guessed was tea.

"_Oi!_ Bloody bums! Get the bloody hell outta here!"

Alice shifted her attention back to Hatter, who was kicking at a couple of sorry looking vagrants that had taken up refuge in his ransacked shop. They were filthy and ratty, filthier and rattier than Ratty had been, curled up in the corner and clutching flasks to their chests. They cowered and scurried out of Hatter's office the instant he cracked the knuckles of his right hand. Chest puffed out, the conman stood in the doorway and stared the riffraff down until they had vacated the building. The bodyguards stationed outside the shop with the Scarab would ensure that no one else broke in.

Hatter turned to Alice, muttering violently about bums and junkies and pillagers under his breath, repeatedly clenching and unclenching his fist. He stomped past her to the blue-tinted glass wall, where rows of brightly colored teas were once displayed, and commenced tapping on the squares of glass in a seemingly random rhythm.

Alice watched him with interest, listening to his angry rambling, mildly surprised that he wasn't _punching_ the glass.

"Ya might wanna step aside, Alice." Hatter kept his back to her, still tapping away.

"What?"

A loud creak, and the ground jerked underfoot, almost causing Alice to lose her balance. Her galoshes were good and stuck in the mud, so she had to hop out of the boots and leap over to Hatter's side as the floor parted to reveal a burnt orange Mustang convertible, top down.

Alice padded to the edge of the opening in her bare feet and peered down at the vehicle. She didn't know a lot about cars, but she knew enough to see that this was vintage. A late sixties model, perhaps. It had been modified like the bus at the Great Library; there were multicolored buttons and levers on the dashboard that didn't belong.

Still grumbling, Hatter jumped down onto the hood, reaching up to grasp Alice by the waist and plunking her into the passenger seat. She kept quiet, content to watch him, waiting to see how this would unfold. He plopped into the driver's seat and pressed a purple button. Alice ducked her head sharply when she heard the floor of his office start to close back over them. It slammed shut with a loud metal clang, and then it was pitch black.

The car lurched, and Alice's stomach somersaulted at the sudden downward motion. She reached out blindly and gripped Hatter's arm.

He immediately ceased his incoherent cursing, taking her hand in his. "S'alright, love. Just a few seconds, yeah?"

His voice and touch were a comfort in the darkness, and Alice didn't bother getting annoyed with herself for finding solace in a man's presence. Instead, she let the calm in, concentrating on the slight movement of his thumb over her skin rather than the…Mustang elevator ride.

He squeezed her hand just before they jolted to a stop. A dim blue light flickered, and Alice could make out Hatter in the pale glimmer as he leaned out of the car and fiddled with something.

Another creak, and a door swung open. Hatter bounded out of the car and into the doorframe, did some more fiddling, and was suddenly silhouetted against a warm red glow.

"Alice…" He offered his hand and she accepted, stepping out of the Mustang and over the threshold into a narrow hallway flooded in red light.

Hatter closed the door behind her and tinkered with a series of locking mechanisms, then tugged Alice by the elbow to another locked door at the end of the hallway. He didn't relax until they were safely on the other side of the steel door and he'd reset its locking system. A light switched on, and Alice heard him exhale and saw his shoulders drop about two inches. His eyes twinkled as he surveyed the absence of intruder evidence.

"No way anyone's breakin' into _this_ place!" He snagged a black fedora from the hat rack that stood just inside the entrance and flipped it onto his head. "That's more like it!"

"This" place was…_awesome_. Knotty wood flooring, comparable to pine, spread across a spacious foyer. The walls and ceiling were textured in earth tones, hung with prints of abstract paintings that Alice didn't recognize. They were all line and form and explosion of color, and they all seemed to fit.

The foyer opened into a substantial library. Shelves of books spanned from floor to ceiling, and there was even one of those quaint ladders on wheels. Beaded curtains, strung with assorted wooden shapes and shades, draped the two archways that led into other areas of Hatter's impressive bachelor pad.

"Hatter…this is incredible!"

His face lit up, his dimples deep, and he snatched her hand to press a fervent kiss to her tattoo before disappearing through one of the archways. "I'll just be a minute, make yourself at home, love!" he called over his shoulder. "And let me know if ya need anythin'!"

Alice smoothed out her new red embroidered sundress, feeling suddenly very pretty and last-day-of-school-giddy. Owl had delivered her a small box from one of the morning Scarabs, packed with dresses in her size. Attached was a note that read:

_The Alice of Legend should look cute…especially with that tasty teashop owner chasing her tail._

_XOXO Caly_

Despite their unfavorable first impression, Caly and Alice got on very well. They'd hit it off in the time before the Duchess was dispatched with the Brigade, and had been corresponding since. Turns out they had a lot more in common besides Jack, and Alice enjoyed having some girl bonding with someone other than her mother.

Alice waltzed across the knotted floor, which sprawled through the entire apartment, and stepped through the other archway into a reading room. The wooden beads danced musically in her wake.

In the center of the room sat a woodburning stove on a stone hearth, the flue extending to the ceiling and branching off to disappear out the wall. Soft, shag throw rugs and oversized pillows in neutral tones littered the floor around the hearth, and a variety of comfortable furniture dotted the cozy room. A couple of papasans, a chaise lounge, a doublewide recliner…each accompanied by an end table and reading lamp of some sort. There was one bookcase in the back, and surrealist artwork decorated the walls. Alice felt pretty pleased with herself for picking out Magritte's _Treachery of Images_ and Dali's iconic _Persistence of Memory_.

She made her way to the recliner and sank into its cushions, picking up the tattered hardcover lying on the end table. She leafed through it, finding that it was filled with Wonderland's star charts. Scribblings and notes, written in a bubbly, feminine hand, crammed the margins. The pages were torn, taped, re-taped, and dog-eared, and the binding was on its last legs. Someone had _loved_ this book.

Alice flipped through the pages, pausing randomly to read. Then she sucked in her breath and sat up a little straighter, settling in to pore over the legend of Diocles. Her lips curved into a soft smile as she read the story, and, for the millionth time, she recalled Hatter's casino-crumbling kiss in the rain.

Turning the page, she studied an illustration of Diocles punching a mountain while kissing his shackled lady love. A caption penciled below read, "My Big Bad Brother," complete with a doodle of a goofy face. A top hat had been sketched on Diocles' head.

Alice lifted her gaze to Hatter, who had joined her in the reading room and curled himself up on the papasan across from her. He eyed her curiously.

"Big brother?" She held up the book for him to see.

Hatter dimpled. "M'little sister wrote that."

"Your sister? Where is she?" All this talk of her own father and getting home to see her mother, and Alice had never once asked Hatter about his family. She suddenly felt like a self-centered brat.

His dimples faded, and he just looked at her, grinding his jaw like he was debating something. "She's not here. She's…she's 'no longer with us,' as you Oysters say."

Now she _really_ felt like an asshole. "I'm sorry, I…I had no idea. What happened?"

Hatter sighed and stared at his hands. "Another time, yeah? I just…I don't really feel like talkin' about it right now, if that's okay."

"Of course, sorry…"

"Don't apologize, Alice. It's fine, really. Just not in the mood."

"What was her name?"

Hatter closed his eyes and didn't speak for a minute. Alice feared she might've pressed too much with that simple question; his sister's story was clearly painful and he was plainly not in the mood to go there. She kept quiet, waiting.

Finally, he licked his lips and inhaled deeply, plastering a tight smile on his face. "_Bonnie_," he whispered, his voice cracking with strain.

He so rarely showed any vulnerability…her heart ached for him. This was not her smooth-talking, take-everything-in-stride Hatter. This was a man with painful memories, and she wished more than anything that she had the power to erase them for him. The best she could do was make joyful new ones with him and keep his mind on the present.

Alice leaned forward in her chair. "Hatter, I –"

Hatter held up his palm. "Don't, Alice. Another time. Life's for the livin', yeah?"

Then he fell silent, eyes glued to his hands, and she wracked her brain for a change of subject. She detected a faint tinkling sound, and got out of the chair to investigate. Suspended in the far corner was something akin to a glass wind chime, clinking musically of its own accord in the stillness. The girl crossed the room to inspect it more closely. Each chime was a unique piece of hand blown glass, mostly clear with strips of purples and greens swirling throughout.

Hatter materialized behind her. "Wicked, yeah? Let's me know when someone besides m'self is in me flat or up in the office. Sounds different dependin' who's here and how welcome they are." His hands were on her hips, drawing small circles over the gauzy red fabric of her sundress.

The pleasant cadence and soft melody made Alice smile. "Am I very welcome, then?"

"Love, _you_…" He ran his palms down her thighs and slipped under the hem of her dress to roam up her bare skin, scalding her abdomen with his calloused fingertips. "Are _most_ welcome. You're welcome to anythin' and everythin'."

And there he went again, breathing hotly on her neck, speaking in that tone and touching her in a way that turned her legs to jelly. But no, this time she was taking matters into her own hands. No more teasing torture. She didn't need any more seducing.

Alice whirled on him and went in for the kill.

And afterwards, panting breathlessly in Hatter's arms and staring up at the ceiling from a shag throw rug, Alice, the girl notorious for running out on her lovers, went in for seconds.

~TBC~

* * *

**A/N:** **To apologize to you for the long wait, I'll be publishing a lemony deleted scene from this chap some time this week titled **_**Rug Burn**_** (yup!)**

Dodo _did_ say that Hatter lived the good life, so I thought he might have a pretty sweet place.

Thank you to everyone who has been reading and adding to your faves and alerts, it's cool to know you enjoy my story :) Thanks especially to those of you that have been leaving reviews, they mean a lot to me! And thanks for checking out the M-rated extended scene from the last chap, you guys rule =D


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